72 hours to Najib and Cabinet to prove that they are sincere in political funding proposals

The Prime Minister, Datuk Seri Najib Razak yesterday proposed a national consultative committee of political parties, NGOS, civil societies and youths to formulate guidelines on political funding with the aim of ensuring that funds are sourced with integrity.

The Prime Minister could not have made such a proposal in worse circumstances, for though the concept  that  funds for political parties are sourced with integrity and in a transparent manner is right, proper and deserves support, Najib’s timing of such a proposal could only ensure  its rejection or reception with great skepticism.

I fully support the idea that funding for political parties and elections should be transparent with regard to its source and expenditure, but this is clearly secondary for   Najib as the  largest concern about him is his continued stonewalling from giving a full and satisfactory accounting of the RM2.6 billion deposited into his personal accounts in AmBank in March  2013 before the 13th General Election remains – and the main question for Malaysians and  the world remains: where the RM2.6 billion came from and where they have gone to.

It is a blot on Najib’s record of transparency and integrity that for over a month he could not say a simple “yes” or “no” as to whether RM2.6 billion was deposited into his personal bank accounts, and where the money came from and where they have gone to. The question uppermost in everybody’s mind is what had Najib got  to hide?

His statement yesterday that there are currently no laws regulating political funding or donations and thus the public can’t pass judgment yet is a  monumental example of Najib’s warped perceptions of what is right and what is wrong – a Prime Minister who has ceased to distinguish between  right from wrong!

Even if there are no laws regulating political funding, is Najib seriously suggesting that Malaysians cannot pass judgement whether the deposit of RM2.6 billion into the Prime Minister’s personal accounts  from mysterious foreign sources just before the dissolution of Parliament for the purpose of the 13th General Election campaign is right or wrong?

Are there no religious scruples and  moral considerations to prick Najib’s conscience  about such an astronomical funding, and from a foreign source, into the Prime Minister’s personal bank accounts?

DAP has never received a single sen of foreign funding in our five decades of political battle for democracy and justice in Malaysia.  If DAP had received just a ringgit  of foreign funding, we would be accused of being agents and tools of foreign powers and DAP leaders may find themselves under incarceration.

But here we have the Prime Minister receiving RM2.6 billion of foreign funding and he has the impertinence to say there is no law to say whether it is right or wrong!

Najib has lost the moral leadership and compass to talk about transparent and accountable political funding so long as he is not prepared to make a clean breast of the RM2.6 billion in his personal bank accounts, where the RM2.6 billion came from and to whom they went to.

I can give at least three reasons why Najib is not sincere in wanting to have transparent and accountable political funding to ensure integrity and transparency  about the funding:

Firstly Najib was not truthful when he said that six years ago, he had suggested a law for political funding but was opposed by DAP. This is utter bunkum for the DAP was never approached from anyone in the UMNO/BN government with regard to a law to regulate political party funding.

As DAP Parliamentary Leader in the past six years since Najib became Prime Minister, I was never contacted by anyone in Najib’s administration on a law to regulate political party funding.

Najib may have been misled by his Ministers or officials on this matter, but this cannot be a justification for a Prime Minister to tell lies or untruths.

I challenge Najib to prove that the DAP had opposed any proposal for political party funding law.

Secondly, his belated proposal for political party funding is clearly a smokescreen to avoid and evade accountability and transparency on the RM2.6 billion deposited in his personal bank accounts in March 2013 just before the 13th General Elections.

As long as Najib  refuses to come clean on the RM2.6 billion in his personal bank accounts, and in particular where the monies came from and to whom the monies have gone to, Najib has lost all moral authority to talk about accountability and transparency, and even to be a credible and legitimate Prime Minister.

The third reason why Najib’s proposal lack credibility, legitimacy or morality is the naming of Paul Low as Chairman and Idris Jala as the as Deputy Chairman of the National Consultative Committee on Political Funding.

Although Paul Low was drafted into the Cabinet directly as President of Transparency International, his three years in office as the Minister in charge of integrity and governance have not seen these two issues taken seriously by the Najib government.

This is best illustrated by the “Nine days of madness in Putrajaya” where the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) was even forced to organise a prayer session (solat hajat) to seek divine intervention when MACC officers were harassed and hounded by police by dutifully carrying out their anti-corruption duties.

The MACC were saved by strong public condemnation of the police’s abuse of powers and not by Paul Low or Idris Jala.

Have Paul Low and Idris Jala done anything about the sacking of Tan Sri Gani Patail as Attorney-General, the disbanding of the Special Task Force to investigate 1MDB scandal and the RM2.6 billion in Najib’s personal accounts, or the harassment and persecution of top officers from Bank Negara, the Attorney-General’s Chambers and MACC for involvement in a purported international plot  to topple the elected government of Malaysia?

Idris’ term as Minister in the Prime Minister’s Depaertment expires on Sept. 1 following the expiry of the maximum of his  two-term six-year tenure as Senator.

Najib has given the National Consultative Committee on Political Funding a year to come up with guidelines on the matter.

It is a total charade  to give Malaysians the impression that Jala will be both Minister and Deputy Chairman of this National Consultative Council for the next 12 months when Jala will cease to be a Minister in two weeks’ time.

Yesterday, former Deputy Prime Minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin asked what is the balance of Najib’s personal accounts after Najib had disbursed monies from this accounts with the RM2.6 billion from foreign donation.

Today the Sarawak Report website reported that the anonymous Middle East donation to Najib’s accounts have been closed in August 2013 and a vast sum of monies  transferred to a Singapore account.

The Prime Minister cannot keep quiet but must explain the true position.

The Sarawak Report also revealed that handsome hand-outs from Najib’s personal accounts with the RM2.6 billion “donation” were also paid out to UMNO leaders, and two leaders were named, one receiving RM1 million and another receiving RM2 million from Najib.

Both these leaders must speak up either to admit or clear themselves.

I am giving Najib 72 hours to prove that he is sincere in his political funding proposal by coming clean on the RM2.6 billion in his personal accounts, where the monies came from and to whom they went to.

This 72 hours will end on Wednesday morning, which is also to allow every Cabinet Minister on Wednesday to declare whether they have not received handouts from Najib’s personal accounts, or if they had been beneficiaries to declare what sums they received.

If  in these 72 hours, Najib is not able to come clean on the  RM2.6 billion and every Cabinet Ministers fails to declare his or her position whether in receipt of handouts from Najib’s personal accounts or otherwise, then Malaysians have very powerful reasons not to take seriously  the Prime Minister’s proposals on political funding and the National Consultative Council on Political Funding.

(Speech at the DAP kopitiam dialogue in Muar on Saturday, 15th August 2015 at 10 am)

                This entry was posted on Saturday, 15 August 2015, 7:35 pm and is filed under
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Call on new AG and IGP to declare whether they will halt the  current spate of police  arrests and investigations under Section 124B of Penal Code on “activities detrimental to parliamentary democracy” as there is  not a single case which contains the required element of being  “by violent or unconstitutional” means

I call on the new Attorney-General Tan Sri Mohamad Apandi Ali and the Inspector-General of Police Tan Sri Khalid Abu Bakar to declare whether they will halt the current spate of police arrests and investigations under Section 124B of Penal Code on “activities detrimental to parliamentary democracy” as there is not a single case which contains the required element of being by “violent and unconstitutional” means.

What we are seeing in the past few weeks when Section 124B of the Penal Code has suddenly become a new monstrous weapon by the Najib government to arrest, intimidate and cow Malaysians from standing up for their democratic and constitutional rights is nothing less than a gross abuse of power and perversion of Parliament’s intention for the enactment of Section 124B of the Penal Code in 2012.

Parliament was given the assurance by the Najib Executive  that Section 124B of the Penal Code on “activities detrimental to parliamentary democracy” which can send a person to jail for a maximum of 20 years was intended  only for those who carried out “activities detrimental to parliamentary democracy” by “violent and unconstitutional means”.

When the tthen de facto Law Minister, Datuk Seri Nazri Aziz was  pressed in Parliament in 2012 why Section 124B had not spelt out clearly that it  only referred to “activities detrimental to parliamentary democracy” by “violent and unconstitutional means”, Nazri answered  that this was understood and even referred to Oxford Dictionary that “activities detrimental to Parliamentary Democracy” means “by violent and unconstitutional means”.

Nazri assured Parliament that the new Penal Code amendment of the new Section 124B was meant to tackle terrorist activities.

Now, an extraordinary law meant to deal with extraordinary circumstances  such as terrorist activities by people who want to use violent and unconstitutional means to carry out activities detrimental to parliamentary democracy  is used against all and sundry and in cases where there is no element of “violent and unconstitutional” means.

It would appear that we have quickly degenerated to a stage where anyone who wants to see a change of Prime Minister or government is liable to be investigated, arrested and charged under Section 124B for “activities detrimental to Parliamentary Democracy” which is a total betrayal of both the Parliamentary and Ministerial intention in enacting Section 124B of the Penal Code.

With the UMNO/BN winning only a minority vote of 47% in the 13th General Election, I dare say that the majority of Malaysians would want to see Datuk Seri Najib Razak toppled as Prime Minister and the UMNO/BN Government replaced as well.

But this does not bring the majority of Malaysians under the ambit of Section 124B of the Penal Code for “activities detrimental to parliamentary democracy” because they all  reject any violent or unconstitutional means of change and are fully committed to peaceful, democratic and constitutional means of change, including the  toppling of the Prime Minister or government.

If a law which is meant to deal with terrorism and advocates of violent and unconstitutional means of political change could be used against Malaysians who  advocate  peaceful, democratic and constitutional means of political change, it would even mean the death of democracy itself!

In fact, it is those who abused and misused Section 124B against Malaysians who sought political changes through  peaceful, democratic and constitutional means who are guilty of “activities detrimental to parliamentary democracy” and who should be charged under Section 124B of the Penal Code!

I am still waiting for an answer from the Inspector-General Police for the prolonged  police silence and inaction on  a website which appeared on the very same day (July 28) that Tan Sri Gani Patail was summarily sacked as Attorney-General and Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin sacked as Deputy Prime Minister, and which  made the most ludicrous and outrageous allegations implicating top officers in government in the Attorney-General’s Chambers, Bank Negara Malaysia and the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) for involvement in an international conspiracy to topple the elected government of Malaysia.

The first posting of this new website entitled “Ops Lalang 2015: Special Branch leads investigation into conspirators” named at first 12 then 13 names on a “list of conspirators to be investigated under Section 124 of the penal code which carries a penalty of up to 20 years in prison”.

Is there any truth in this website, and has it violated any official secrets in stating that there would be a major police crackdown under Section 124B in the country?

If there is no truth in these allegations, or if there had been violations of the Official Secrets Act in making public top police secrets, why is there no police action against this website in the past 18 days, as this website is still up and operating when l last checked before the wacana.

The mystery is why the Internet-savvy Inspector-General of Police, Tan Sri Khalid Abu Bakar had not done anything in the past 18 days on this malicious and mischievous website, when he would have tweeted a few dozen times of instant police actions  if such a website was from Opposition camp and directed at Najib?

Why the double standards, Khalid, or is this proof enough that this website had the backing from very powerful forces – even more powerful than Khalid himself?

(Speech at the “Wacana PRU 14: Siapakah PM yang seterusnya” in Seremban on Friday, 14th August 2015 at 10 pm)

                This entry was posted on Saturday, 15 August 2015, 6:26 am and is filed under
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Is Zahid referring to Muhyiddin as the UMNO leader plotting to topple the Najib government?

I am intrigued by the latest news reports online quoting the Deputy Prime Minister and Home Minister, Datuk Seri Zahid Hamidi as saying that an Umno leader is leading an attempt to topple the Najib government “using the backdoor”.

Citing “trusted sources”, Zahid said there is an attempt to obtain statutory declarations (SD) of opposition and Barisan Nasional MPs to claim that they have the voice of the majority.

Is Zahid referring to former Deputy Prime Minister, Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin who though sacked at DPM is still the UMNO Deputy President or some other UMNO leader?

Be that as it may, “toppling” Najib as Prime Minister is no crime and cannot fall under the ambit of Section 124B of the Penal Code on “activities detrimental to parliamentary democracy” as this is part and parcel of parliamentary democracy, unless the proposed “toppling” of the Prime Minister and the government is by “violent and unconstitutional” means.

It is unfortunate that it is Zahid who is warning about the “toppling” attempt as if it is some heinous crime which would face the full weight of the law, when this should be accepted as an integral process of parliamentary democracy, provided there is a new majority in Parliament which supports a new Prime Minister and government by peaceful, democratic and constitutional means, including the use of Sds.

It is time that Zahid and UMNO/BN government learn the true precepts and principles of parliamentary demoracy, that there is nothing criminal, illegal or undemocratic if there is a new majority of MPs who feel that there should be a change of Prime Minister and government by peaceful, democratic and constitutional means, although this would normaly be referred to as the toppling of the incumbent Prime Minister and government.

(Speech at the DAP kopitiam dialogue in Bukit Gambir, Johor on Saturday 15th August 2015 at 12.30 pm)

                This entry was posted on Saturday, 15 August 2015, 11:10 pm and is filed under
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Malaysia’s Ringgit in a Tailspin

By ANJANI TRIVEDI and  EWEN CHEW

Wall Street Journal

Aug. 14, 2015

Currency falls more than 3% Friday to a fresh 17-year low

Malaysia’s ringgit suffered its largest one-day loss in almost two decades, with investors pulling cash out of stocks and bonds, as the nation’s list of challenges appears to be getting longer.

The ringgit shed more than 3% against the U.S. dollar Friday, leading the losses in global currency markets and falling to a fresh 17-year low.

Malaysia’s benchmark index was down 5.4% for the week, the region’s worst-performing stock market. Yields, which move inversely to prices, on five-year Malaysian government bonds rose 0.20 percentage point this week to their highest level since the global financial crisis.

Earlier this week, a number of currencies in the region tumbled after China’s surprise move to devalue its currency, which many saw as a threat to its export-dependent neighbors. But the ringgit has a set of issues all its own.

From South Korea to Malaysia, China’s neighbors have seen their currencies slide since the yuan was devalued. WSJ market reporters Chao Deng and Anjani Trivedi discuss whether these countries should be worried.

The most immediate challenge is the limited scope of Malaysia’s central bank to step in. For weeks, it tried to stem the currency’s slide, digging into its foreign-exchange reserves to prop up the ringgit and warning banks from aggressively trading against its currency. Now, reserves are dwindling, down more than $19 billion so far this year.

Malaysia also faces mounting pressure amid an investigation into its debt-saddled state investment fund, 1Malaysia Development Bhd., casting a shadow on the nation’s governance and unnerving investors.

Like many emerging markets, Malaysia’s woes are exacerbated by falling oil prices and a strong U.S. dollar on the back of potentially higher rates in the U.S. That could lead to further capital flight.

At a press conference this week, Malaysia’s central bank governor said that foreign-exchange reserves are adequate and that imposition of capital controls to stem outflows is not an option. Analysts note that outflows of Malaysian residents also have picked up.

Analysts at Bank of America Merrill Lynch now say the central bank may be forced to raise interest rates in Malaysia to help tighten monetary conditions as a last resort.

Meanwhile, the central bank has said the currency doesn’t reflect the state of the economy.

To be sure, in the second quarter of this year, gross domestic product growth in Malaysia ticked up at 4.9% year-on-year. While that was better than expected, it was still close to the slowest pace in two years.

On Friday, traders say the central bank was seen selling U.S. dollars briefly in the onshore market after bouts of frenzied trading activity sent the ringgit as far as 4.15 against the U.S. dollar in early trade. The Malaysian ringgit last traded at 4.05.

                This entry was posted on Sunday, 16 August 2015, 7:21 am and is filed under
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Najib  badly served by the world’s worst but probably  most expensive media communications strategists as witnessed  by the “dud” of the National Consultative Committee on Political Funding

Malaysian Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak is badly served by the world’s worst but probably most expensive media communications strategists as witnessed by the “dud” of the National Consultative Committee on Political Funding.

Those responsible for mooting  the idea of National Consultative Committee on Political Funding at this stage deserve to be sacked immediately, as only the naïve and the dim-witted could believe that this is the best timing for the Prime Minister to surface such a proposal.

Those who convinced Najib to go public on this idea at this stage  must have sold the Prime Minister with the argument that this was a panacea for Najib’s recent woes, pushing to the backstage the  twin scandals of 1MDB and RM2.6 billion deposit into Najib’s personal bank accounts, which had haunted the Prime Minister for months, but even more tempting,  allow Najib to go from the defensive to  the offensive against opposition parties  – by  taking a moral ground vis-à-vis his critics and dissenters.

But only the naïve and the nincompoop could fail to see that  this is the worst possible timing to surface the proposal of a National Consultative Council on Political Funding, and in fact, may even be inviting a death certificate for the idea.

This is because with  Najib’s failure to uphold accountability and transparency in the two biggest scandals in the nation’s history, the RM42 billion 1MDB and the RM2.6 billion deposited in Najib’s personal accounts in AmBank in March 2013 just before dissolution of Parliament and holding of 13th General Election, the Prime Minister has lost all moral authority to talk about transparency and integrity in political funding.

I don’t think there would be another head of government in the world who would on the one hand shout from the rooftops about integrity and transparency in political funding and on the other hand, refuse to say a simple “yes” or “no” for over five weeks whether an astronomical sum of RM2.6 billion had been deposited into his personal bank accounts just before the 13th general election.

As a result, it is not only a serving member of MACC’s oversight Operations Review Panel, Lim Chee Wee who said that although ordinarily such an announcement would be applauded, but given the “extraordinary circumstances”, Najib’s announcement is seen by a large majority as “an insincere move to distract in a disingenuous manner the perceived wrong of the alleged donation (of RM2.6 billion)”.

Even those outside the system, like Cynthia Gabriel, executive director of Centre to Combat Corruption and Cronyism (C4) have declared that Malaysians will only be convinced of Najib’s plan to regulate political funding after he answered questions surrounding the RM2.6 billion deposit into his personal bank accounts.

In fact, Najib’s “world’s worst but highly-paid media communications strategists” deserve even more censure and sanction, for they failed to anticipate that they have exposed Najib to an entirely new charge – for accepting RM2.6 billion donation from a  foreign donor, whether for 13th General Elections campaign or other unspecified purpose, causing the first Prime Minister of Malaysia to risk being charged of not being fully loyal to Malaysia but serving the agenda of  some  foreign power.

One of Najib’s new Ministers said former premier Tun Dr. Mahathir had received over RM1 billion when he was Prime Minister for the purpose of settiting up the International Islamic University in Gombak.

It is a pathetic yardstick of the low intellectual standards in the Cabinet had sunk that Ministers cannot see the difference between receiving RM 1 billion from foreign sources for a specific purpose of building the International Islamic University and the mysterious and secretive deposit of RM2.6 billion into the Prime Minister’s personal banking accounts just before the dissolution of Parliament for an “unknown” agenda, and after more than two years, the Prime Minister cannot say a simple “yes” or “no” whether such a RM2.6 billion had been deposited, where the money came from and where they went to, and what was the purpose of the “donation”!

May be Najib’s stocks will begin to rise if he gets rid of these “world’s worst but highly-paid” media communications strategists, who are making one strategic error after another.

Najib’s proposal of a National Consultative Council on Political Funding may however  still be salvageable, but the Prime Minister must re-establish his moral authority to talk about transparency and integrity on political funding – and he can only do so if he immediately gives a full and satisfactory explanation about the twin scandals of the  RM2.6 billion deposit into his personal bank accounts and about the RM42 billion 1MDB scandal.

Yesterday, I gave Najib and all the Cabinet Ministers 72 hours to prove they are  sincere in the political funding proposal by coming clean on the twin scandals on  1MDB and RM2.6 billion.

Two days ago, former Deputy Prime Minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin had asked what was the balance in  Najib’s personal accounts after Najib had disbursed monies to UMNO/BN  people.

Yesterday  the Sarawak Report website revealed that handsome hand-outs had been made by Najib to various people, with two persons named, who received RM1 million and RM2 million respectively.

These two persons named should state whether they had received, one a million ringgit and the other two million ringgit,  from Najib as they cannot keep silent as they are bound to be questioned on the matter when Parliament reconvenes on Oct. 19, as both are MPs.

All Ministers should declare whether they have received handouts from Najib’s personal accounts, and how much, or to state so and clearly  if they had not been beneficiaries at all.

For this reason, I am extending the 72-hour notice to 96 hours so that the Cabinet meeting on Wednesday has the opportunity to focus and discuss this issue.

(Speech at the DAP Penang State Leadership Retreat held at Hotel St Giles Wembley, Penang on Sunday, on Sunday 16th August 2015 at 9 am:

                This entry was posted on Sunday, 16 August 2015, 1:42 pm and is filed under
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The culture of integrity

By Anwar Fazal

Malaysiakini

Aug 15, 2015

Ensuring integrity and fighting corruption has been among the greatest challenges of all times to humanity. Religions have addressed the issues as have governments of all shapes, sizes and structures.

Sadly, it continues to be an unremitting scourge globally. It is a deep malaise that, like a malignant cancer, continues to grow, destroy, while sometimes appearing in unexpected and even in quasi-legal ways with the complicity of the very institutions established for ensuring justice and good governance.

Malaysia’s journey in meeting these challenges continues to be a struggle. One of the most significant publications in this field was done in Malaysia appearing first as ‘The Sociology of Corruption’ in 1968, and subsequently and extensively updated.This globally classic intellectual work on corruption was published in Malaysia by one of its outstanding public intellectuals, Dr Syed Hussein Alatas.

The 1991 edition was entitled ‘Corruption: its nature, causes and functions’. The book was reprinted in 2005 and the distinguished Malaysian prince who launched it warned us that “Corruption may become an industry”.

The late Professor Syed Hussein Alatas’ book has one of the best description of the scourge of corruption. His nine point characteristics of corruption have not been better stated:

a. A betrayal of trust.

b. Deception of a public body, private institution or society at large.

c. Subordination of common interests by specific interests.

d. Secrecy of execution except in situations which allow powerful individuals or those under their protection to dispense with it.

e. Involvement of more than one person or party.

f. The presence of mutual obligations and benefits, in pecuniary or other forms.

g. The focusing of action on those who want definite decisions and those who can influence them.

h. The attempt to camouflage the corrupt act by some form of lawful justification.

i. The expression of a contradictory dual function by those committing the act.

Deep reminders

The monumental struggle to address the scourge continues to be challenging and recent episodes have only been disturbing. We need to have faith and courage and the following enunciations from our spiritual traditions are deep reminders and should manifest our conscience:

The Law of Moses says “You must not distort justice, you must not show partiality and you must not accept bribes for a bribe blinds the eyes of the wise and subverts the cause of those who are in the right”.

The law of Manu from the Hindu tradition says “Men who are appointed by the King to protect his subjects generally become hypocrites who take the property of others, and he must protect those subjects from them”.

Buddha states “Unjust officials are the thieves of people’s happiness, they defraud both ruler and people and are the cause of the nations troubles”.

Islam – the Quran reminds us “(do not) give bribery to the rulers” and the Prophet Muhammad (SAW) elaborated “Allah curses the giver of bribes and the receiver of bribes and the person who paves the way for both parties”.

Christianity – John the Baptist reminded his followers “Do not extort money from anyone”.

As for those who think no one will ever know of their illegal or unethical acts, I would welcome them to visit the ‘Four Knows Hall’ of the Yeoh Kongsi in George Town, Penang. There is a deep saying there that reminds us of our conscience:

“Don’t say nobody knows.

The Heavens know,

The Earth knows,

You know and I know.”

History has taught us one thing and that one thing above all has made a difference – leadership that means ‘political will’ at the top and ‘popular will’ from the bottom. It is leadership at all levels – people who are prepared to stand up against injustice and dishonesty at the community level, in government and corporate board rooms.

We need that more than ever now!

ANWAR FAZAL was a co-founder of Transparency International-Malaysia and a recipient of the Right Livelihood Award popularly known as the ‘Alternative Nobel Prize’.

                This entry was posted on Sunday, 16 August 2015, 8:15 am and is filed under
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Was there an attempted coup against Najib involving charging him for corruption in last week of July which was pre-empted by the sudden sacking of the then Attorney-General Gani Patail?

Was there an attempted coup against the Prime Minister, Datuk Seri Najib Razak involving charging him for corruption in the last week of July which was pre-empted by the sudden sacking of the then Attorney-General Tan Sri Gani Patail?

In fact, was there already a coup and unconstitutional grab for power when Gani illegally and arbitrarily set up the four-agency Special Task Force comprising Bank Negara Malaysia (BNM), Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC), the Royal Malaysian Police (RMP) and the Attorney-General’s Chambers (AGC) to investigate the 1MDB scandal and RM2.6 billion deposit in Najib’s personal bank accounts by foreign sources just before the 13th General Election?

These are among the questions buzzing the everybody’s mind from the interview in Star Online by the Barisan Nasional Strategic Communications Director, Datuk Abdul Rahman Dahlan who is also Minister for Housing and Local Government.

Slowly, the events of what happened in the corridors of power in recent weeks, particularly in the last week of July with the sudden sacking of the Attorney-General Gani Patail, the Deputy Prime Minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin and the Minister for Rural and Regional Development, Datuk Seri Shafie Apdal, followed by “Nine Days of Madness in Putrajaya”, are coming to light.

All these goings-on in the corridors of power hinged on the purported draft of a corruption charge sheet against Najib, which the new Attorney-General Tan Sri Mohamad Apandi Ali had declared as false.

I had right from the beginning said Apandi’s denial of the alleged draft corruption charge against the Prime Minister lacked conviction and credibility, which was also the case with regard to the “health” reason given for termination of Gani’s services as Attorney-General.

Now the truth are slowly come out, although still in dribs and drabs.

In his interview today, Abdul Rahman said Najib had to “take out people” after an alleged charge sheet against him emerged.

He said: “Given that scenario what would you do? You would take drastic action wouldn’t you?

“Okay, take these people out first, so that things will get back to normalcy and see what will happen next.

“If you could appreciate that scenario then you would understand the flurry of action taken by the prime minister.”

Abdul Rahman is only telling one side of the story, the story of those who triumphed in the “cloak and dagger” operation in Putrajaya in the past few weeks, and nobody can be sure whether it is the truth, the whole truth and nothing but the truth.

Malaysians are in a parliamentary democracy and in the information era, and they are entitled to know what actually transpired in the “cloak-and-dagger” atmosphere of Putrajaya in the past few weeks.

These events are additional reasons which demand that Najib should go on leave to allow a full inquiry into the serious allegations about an illegal and unconstitutional grab for power as well as into the 1MDB scandal and the RM2.6 billion in Najib’s personal accounts.

                This entry was posted on Sunday, 16 August 2015, 4:24 pm and is filed under
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Call on the IGP to arrest  Housing Minister Abdul Rahman Dahlan for publishing  “false news” under the PPPA for his Star Online Interview unless Abdul Rahman can prove that there was actually a plot to criminalise the Prime Minister and topple him from office

In his
Star Online
 interview, which is not available on the printed edition of The Star today, the Barisan Nasional Strategic Communications Director, Datuk Abdul Rahman Dahlan who is also Minister for Housing and Local Government, is guilty of publishing two false news unless he could prove their truth and veracity, viz:

Firstly, that there was an attempted coup against the Prime Minister, Datuk Seri Najib Razak by criminalising him and topple him from office; and

Secondly, that there was already a coup and unconstitutional grap for power by the then Attorney-General, Tan Sri Gani Patail when illegally and arbitrarily, the Special Task force headed by him investigating into the 1MDB and the RM2.6 billion deposit in Najib’s personal accounts in AmBank investigated the Prime Minister in order to “criminalise” the Prime Minister.

These are serious assertions by a Minister of the country, and must be considered as “false news” falling under the Printing Presses and Publications Act 1984 unless Rahman could prove their truth and veracity.

I call  on the Inspector-General of Police, Tan Sri Khalid Abu Bakar to arrest  Housing Minister Abdul Rahman Dahlan for publishing  “false news” under the Printing Presses and Publications Act for his Star Online Interview on  a plot to criminalise the Prime Minister and topple him from office unless Rahman can prove the veracity or truth of these serious allegations.

Three important strands of police investigations into Abdul Rahman’s Star Online interview  should be:

(1)	Whether there was a plot in the last days of July to stage a coup against Najib as Prime Minister by criminalizing him and toppling him from office;

(2)	Whether there had been illegal and unconstitutional acts to overawe and frustrate the  Attorney-General from exercising his discretionary powers under Article 145(3) of the Constitution to “institute, conduct or discontinue any proceedings for an offence”;

(3)	Whether there  was any  basis for charging the Prime Minister for the offence of corruption.

Abdul Rahman painted a picture of a serious “cloak-and-dagger” power play in Putrajaya in the last days of last month.

He described an atmosphere of great suspicion, distrust and division in the corridors of power in Putrajaya last month, using his own words, as follows:

“There are two theories out there. One is the one you mentioned that this is a deliberate attempt to stop, delay or interfere with the investigations (on 1MDB).

But there is also another theory that there has been a deliberate attempt to criminalise the Prime Minister.

“This is what the new AG (Tan Sri Mohamed Apandi Ali) was saying with regards to the (purported) draft charge sheet (against the Prime Minister). Apandi sent out a statement saying that the Attorney-General’s chambers is very concerned that there is a deliberate attempt to criminalise the PM and force him out of the office. If you are a politician of course you would take some pre-emptive steps so that it doesn’t happen.

“I am not privy to that information. I leave it to the PM and the AG who made that comment and also to the IGP whether or not there is an attempt to criminalise the PM. But it sure looked like it. Because there was an allegation of a draft charge sheet but MACC said ‘Wait a minute we have not completed our investigation. So how could there be a draft charge sheet when the investigation has not been completed?”

Abdul Rahman’s protests of innocence and not being privy to information about the “struggle for power” in the corridors of power in Putrajaya in those crucial days in the last days of July do not wash, not only because he was the newly-minted Barisan Nasional  Strategic Communication Director who was clearly one of the important masterminds behind the Najib power-play, but Abdul Rahman was the first person to talk about a plot to “criminalise” Najib and 1MDB.

Abdul Rahman first used  the term “criminalise Najib” on July 15  when he introduced the now discredited video of the discredited former Sarawakian editor Lester Melanyi, claiming that there was a plot to topple Najib as Prime Minister. In fact, Abdul Rahman had abandoned Lester in mid-stream as the promised third part of the Lester video had never appeared!

Under these circumstances, the first statement by the new Attorney-General about his concern that “there is a deliberate attempt to criminalise the PM and force him out of the office” might have been ghost-written by him as the new BN Director of Strategic Communications.

Abdul Rahman’s statement that  Najib had to “take out people” after an alleged charge sheet against him emerged therefore takes on a very ominous note.

As Abdul Rahman  said:
“Given that scenario what would you do? You would take drastic action wouldn’t you?

 “Okay, take these people out first, so that things will get back to normalcy and see what will happen next.

“If you could appreciate that scenario then you would understand the flurry of action taken by the prime minister.”

The Police must move in immediately, interview Abdul Rahman as the first suspect, as well as others including the Prime Minister, the Deputy Prime Minister and Home Minister, Datuk Zahid Hamidi, the former Deputy Prime Minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin, as well as others who had been “taken out” in utter disregard of the due process of law like the then Attorney-General Tan Sri Gani Patail and other other top officers in the Attorney-General’s Chambers, the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission and Bank Negara Malaysia to establish what was really the truth.

It is shocking that as a “strategic” member of the Cabinet, Abdul Rahman is saying  that the Special Task Force investigating into the 1MDB and the RM2.6 billion deposit in Najib’s personal bank accounts was “illegally constituted” and that “They were not supposed to be investigating the PM or any individual for that matter”.

Can Najib as the Prime Minister enlighten the Malaysian public about Abdul Rahman’s  claim, as clearly even the former Deputy Prime Minister until July 28, Muhyiddin Yassin never knew that the Special Task Force was illegal and unconstitutional.

What type of a Cabinet and government is Najib running?

Let Najib clear the air once and for all.  Was there a plot to “criminalise” Najib and topple him as Prime Minister coming from within the bowels of the Cabinet and Government; who, apart from Gani Patail, had been “taken out” to protect Najib from any such “coup”.

Najib should be aware that he can get no sympathy or support from the ordinary Malaysian public, or even ordinary UMNO members who are patriotic and love Malaysia more than Najib or even UMNO,  so long as Najib refuses to fully account for the RM2.6 billion deposited into his personal bank accounts in 2013 – where the money came from and to whom  and the amounts the monies were given out, the remainder of his personal accounts after electioneering disbursements and what was the balance  in the accounts and their present whereabouts.

                This entry was posted on Monday, 17 August 2015, 2:28 pm and is filed under
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Najib should come clean about the RM2.6 billion in his personal accounts  and stop spawning lies like the latest one that ‘PM’s RM2.6 billion was thanks for fighting IS’

It has been said that once you tell a lie, you need to tell ten more lies to cover the first lie.

This is what is happening almost every day, to cover up the multiple and  monstrous  lies that are being told about the twin scandals of RM42 billion 1MDB and the RM2.6 billion in Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak’s personal bank accounts before the 13th General Election.

In a way, it is quite entertaining the manner that  the Prime Minister and his media communication strategists are busy spinning stories about these twin scandals, and if not for the vital fact that national interests and the people’s future  are at stake, one could sit back to enjoy the burlesque and the clumsy attempts to get the Prime Minister to get  out of a very sticky and nasty situation.

But the latest spin that the RM2.6 billion deposited into Najib’s personal bank accounts originated from Saudi Arabia as an appreciation to Malaysia for championing Islam, fighting Islamic State (IS) and for practicing Sunni Islam (Ahli Sunnah Wal Jamaah) really takes the cake for being the most ludicrous and outrageous explanation so far.

An Umno division leader, the Kuantan UMNO division chief Wan Adnan Wan Mamat  revealed at the opening of the Kuantan UMNO division’s wings annual general assembly that Najib had told 146 UMNO division leaders in a meeting last Wednesday that the RM2.6 billion deposited into Najib’s personal bank accounts originated from Saudi Arabia and was in appreciation for Malaysia’s efforts in combating the Islamic State (IS).

Wan Adnan said that  all Umno division leaders were satisfied by this explanation and did not want the matter to be prolonged.

Adnan represents UMNO division leaders and members who are most gullible and do not use their critical or thinking faculties – unlike Parit Sulong  UMNO division chief Zulkarnain Kamisan who declaimed Indonesian Mustofa Bisri (Gus Mus)’s poem “Kau Ini Bagaimana Atau Aku Harus Bagaimana” or Langkawi  Umno delegate Anina Saaduddin whose  honest and courageous “kencing tiga juta Ahli UMNO” speech has gone viral or the speech by Pontian UMNO division chief Datuk Hasni Mohammad yesterday making the shocking revelation that Najib bypassed the Umno Supreme Council and simply used mobile messaging app WhatsApp to decide whether he should reshuffle the Cabinet.

If it was true that the RM2.6 billion deposited into Najib’s personal bank account allegedly originated from Saudi Arabia  was in appreciation for Malaysia’s efforts in combating the Islamic State (IS), then Najib would not have sang the praises for IS or its predecessor at the time, ISIL or ISIS at the 20th anniversary dinner of UMNO Cheras Branch on June 24, 2014, calling on UMNO members to emulate the bravery of the ISIL/ISIS terrorists, declaring:

“…when someone dares to fight to his death, he can even defeat a much bigger team. Whether we agree or not is another matter, the group ISIL with the strength of just 1,300 people, can defeat an Iraqi army of 30,000 soldiers, until four, five generals with three, four stars run for their lives, jump out of window at night.”

Najib made that speech on June 24, 2014, a week before ISIS declared the creation of a caliphate and changed its name to Islamic State (IS).

The deposit of RM2.6 billion into Najib’s personal bank accounts occurred in March 2013, more than a year before Najib’s speech to UMNO Cheras and the  creation of  the caliphate the change of ISIS to IS.

The story that the RM2.6 billion was deposited into Najib’s personal bank accounts by Saudi Arabia in appreciation of Malaysia’s efforts in combating the Islamic State (IS) is full of holes and cannot stand up to a moment of scrutiny.

Although Najib tried to make amends for his  major strategic error on June 24, 2014 in glorifying the daily ISIS sadistic and horrific human rights violations, including targeted killings, human  trafficking, sexual abuses, abductions, forced conversions and beheadings by supporting the United Nations General Assembly resolution on Sept. 26, 2014 denouncing IS, the issue of a White Paper on the atrocities of IS and a Parliamentary motion to condemn IS, the fact remains that Najib is the only head of government in the world to have publicly praised IS terrorists when he exhorted UMNO members on June 24, 2014 to emulate the “brave exploits” of the IS/ISIL/ISIS terrorists!

With this history and background, who will believe that RM2.6 billion was deposited into Najib’s personal bank accounts in March 2014 was in appreciation of Malaysia’s combat against IS?

Najib should come clean on the RM2.6 billion deposit into his private bank accounts and stop telling lies, like the latest one on its being donated from Saudi Arabia in appreciation of Malaysia’s combat against IS, which has immediately been torn to piece with close scrutiny.

Najib  has lost all moral authority and leadership to talk about political funding or make the proposal about the so-called National Consultative Council on Political Funding so long as he continues  to fudge and bluff about the RM2.6 billion deposit into his private bank accounts or the 1MDB scandal.

Najib’s proposal of a National Consultative Council on Political Funding, although a dead duck,  may  still be salvageable if he could  re-establish his moral authority to talk about transparency and integrity of political funding.

There is only one way for Najib re-gain moral authority on transparency, integrity and good governance principles  – and this is for him to  immediately give a full and satisfactory explanation about the twin scandals of the  RM2.6 billion deposit into his personal bank accounts and about the RM42 billion 1MDB scandal.

I have given  Najib and all the Cabinet Ministers 96 hours  expiring on Wednesday to prove they are  sincere in the political funding proposal by coming clean on the twin scandals on 1MDB and RM2.6 billion.

Over the weekend, former Deputy Prime Minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin had asked what was the balance in  Najib’s personal accounts after Najib had disbursed monies to UMNO/BN  people.

On Saturday,  the Sarawak Report website revealed that handsome hand-outs had been made by Najib to various people, with two persons named, who received RM1 million and RM2 million respectively.

These two persons named should state whether they had respectively received one a million ringgit and the other two million ringgit  from Najib as they cannot keep silent as they are bound to be questioned on the matter when Parliament reconvenes on Oct. 19, as both are MPs.

Before the expiry of the 96-hour ultimatum on Wednesday, all Ministers should declare whether they have received handouts from Najib’s personal accounts, and how much, or to state clearly  and unmistakably that  they had not been beneficiaries at all.

Or will the 96-hour deadline come and go without Najib or any Minister daring to step forward to declare his or her integrity on the RM2.6 billion deposit in Najib’s personal bank accounts just before the 13th General Election in March 2013?

(Speech at the DAP Seremban Ceramah Perdana held at Ballroom2, City Kingdom, Taman AST, Seremban on Sunday, 16th August 2015 at 10 pm)

                This entry was posted on Monday, 17 August 2015, 9:05 am and is filed under
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Eight Ministers and two Deputy Ministers  asked to declare  the amounts of funds received from the infamous Najib RM2.6 billion personal accounts for the 13th General Election campaigning

Former Minister and Barisan Nasional Backbenchers’ Club  (BNBBC) Chairman Tan Sri Shahrir Samad is the first to confirm the posting on the Sarawak Report website  on Saturday which named him as one of those who had received funds from Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak’s infamous RM2.6 billion personal accounts for the 13th General Election campaigning.

In the past two days, I had asked the two individuals whom Sarawak Report had revealed as having received RM1 million and RM2 million respectively to publicly confirm or deny, that they cannot keep silent as they are bound to be questioned on the matter when Parliament reconvenes on Oct. 19, as both of them are Members of Parliament.

Now that Shahrir has admitted receiving RM1 million from Najib’s RM2.6 billion personal accounts for the 13th General Election campaigning, it is now the turn of the Deputy Minister for International Trade and Industry, Datuk Ahmad Maslan to confirm whether he has received RM2 million from Najib’s RM2.6 billion personal accounts for the 13th General Election campaigning.

Shahrir’s confirmation of the Sarawak Report posting is an acknowledgement of the credibility and reliability of the reports in the Sarawak Report website although it has been accused of being recklessly irresponsible in making baseless allegations against UMNO/Barisan Nasional leaders, but up to now, there has not been a single case of any Sarawak Report posting shown to  false or untrue.

Before Wednesday’s Cabinet meeting and the expiry of my 96-hour ultimatum to them, all Ministers and Deputy Ministers should declare whether they have received funding from Najib’s RM2.6 billion personal accounts for 13th General Elections campaigning, and if so, how much they  had each received.

I want in particular to name the following eight Ministers and two deputy ministers to  declare the funds they had received from Najib’s RM2.6 billion personal accounts, viz:

Hishammuddin Hussein – Defence Minister.

Azalina Othman – Minister in Prime Minister’s Department.

Ahmad Husni Hanadzlah – Second Finance Minister.

Liow Tiong Lai – Transport Minister.

Anifah Aman – Foreign Minister.

Ismail Sabry – Rural and Regional Development Minister.

Ahmad Shabery Cheek – Agriculture and Agro-based Industries Minister

Madzir Khalid – Education Minister

Tajuddin Abdul Rahman – Deputy Agriculture Minister

Razali Ibrahim – Deputy Minister, Prime Minister’s Department

On Saturday, Sarawak Report said that over US$650 million (RM2 billion) was transferred from Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak’s AmPrivate Bank account in Kuala Lumpur to an account in Singapore after the 13th general election.

The whistle-blower site also alleged that the money was deposited into an account in the name of Tanore Finance Corporation (BVI) at Falcon Bank in Singapore on the day the Prime Minister’s AmPrivate Bank account was closed, August 30, 2013.

Sarawak Report said this was the same company account which had originally transferred US$681 million into Najib’s AmPrivate Bank account, earlier in March of the same year.

Sarawak Report also said that Najib had distributed funds from his private accounts to a few Umno leaders, who are now proving to be some of the prime minister’s strongest defenders in the present crisis.

Let Najib say a simple “Yes” or “No” to the latest Sarawak Report revelations.

The recent Cabinet reshuffle three weeks ago  on July 28 was not to have a more dedicated and professional Cabinet to better serve the people and country but to create a 1MDB Cabinet to better protect Najib from having to be accountable and transparent on the twin scandals of 1MDB and the RM2.6 billion in Najib’s personal accounts.

In fact, we are now having an Education Minister who is making history as the least known occupant of this most important ministry for the future of the country!

Never before in the nation’s history is there a larger percentage of the people who do not know who is the current Education Minister!

In fact, Najib has now the most number of Ministers in the Prime Minister’s Department, as there are now 11 Ministers with the latest addition of Azalina Othman.

The number of Ministers in Najib’s Prime Minister’s Department is even bigger than the first Cabinet of the country when we achieved Merdeka in 1957, when we had a Cabinet of only 10 Ministers!

The annual budget for the Prime Minister’s Department alone is a walloping RM19 billion, which is about 20 times more than the full Federal Government budget when we achieved Merdeka 58 years ago – which was around RM800 million.

But the Malaysian Cabinet today is not able to be as effective and productive than the Cabinet of 1957 – despite having a 11-Minister Prime Minister’s Department which is bigger than Tunku Abdul Rahman’s first Merdeka Cabinet!

Is Malaysia going forward or backward?

(Speech  at the DAP forum “Ke Mana Halatuju Malaysia” at Tropical Inn, Johor Baru on Monday, 17th August 2015 at 9 pm)

                This entry was posted on Tuesday, 18 August 2015, 6:23 am and is filed under
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From trust deficit to moral and ethical bankruptcy

 – K. Haridas

The Malaysian Insider

18 August 2015

Who gives a donation amounting to RM2.6 billion? All that Malaysians would like to know are details about this amazing donor. Is such a person alive? We would like to know what motivated him or even a brotherly nation to give such a sizeable amount to Datuk Seri Najib Razak. Was it really for Umno or was it a personal donation or as also claimed for supporting anti-Isis positions?

This is the biggest lie that has been floated on Malaysian citizens. Believe me, the way money has entered into Najib’s accounts stinks of misuse of 1Malaysia Development Bhd (1MDB) funds. If this is revealed, it is a crime of great magnitude. So, present it as a donation and the kampong and Umno folk will then buy it.

The way the money was moved from account to account and then disappeared raises questions regarding deceptions. Umno diehards who are loyal to Najib are not interested in these questions. The scale of the amount and the manner in which money was brought into the country smells of dishonesty, intrigue and exploitation.

We now have names popping up, some of whom seem to have benefited from this largesse which perhaps explains their keen defence of the PM. Najib has now indicated that the allowance for the next year will be increased from RM 5 million per MP for constituency related works. Another lottery for loyalty!

Some like Datuk Seri Shahril Samad from Johor, for instance, are supposed to have received RM1 million. Datuk Seri Tengku Adnan Tengku Mansor and Datuk Abdul Rahman Dahlan now confess that they knew about this donation. Why this disclosure after the fact? Could these key supporters of Najib therefore be beneficiaries, hence the present disclosure?

There are many hot air balloons but none have been foisted onto the Malaysian people like the stories that Najib spins. Any accused, if innocent, would take immediate steps to clear their name.

This will be done by placing on the table all the details and facts while at the same time defending their integrity. All politicians worth their salt and credibility would do so on an urgent basis.

We do not see this in the case of Najib. He could have called for an emergency sitting of Parliament, appointed a new chair for the Parliamentary Accounts Committee, answered questions of significance in Parliament and given the chamber the respect that is due.

In not doing so, Najib has insulted Malaysians. This is both a natural and peaceful initiative to take that would diffuse impending unrest. Yet his very behaviour is spawning agitation amongst people.

What has he got to hide? Either he has a lot to hide or he is no longer interested in facing reality but merely in holding onto power at all costs. This is what becomes of a leader when he becomes larger than his party. By his actions he destroys everything held dear by his supporters. This also demonstrates his confidence that loyalty among Umno members can be bought.

Nevertheless, his key supporters remain blind and are unable to distinguish between loyalty and integrity. The charade goes on with his beneficiaries shouting disloyalty, attempts to overthrow the government while never directly addressing any of the key issues. It is amazing that one becomes an enemy of the people when questions are raised. Even Parliament is not being called to address these important issues. What other forums do we have?

We now hear from the latest edition of the Sarawak Report that US$650 million out of a total of US$681 million was returned to the account in Singapore. I suppose Ku Nan and Rahman Dahlan also knew about this! Unfortunately former deputy prime minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin, the deputy president of Umno, is unaware. The conclusion then is that only US$31 million was spent for political purposes during the last general election in the country.

So we can speculate at best that about RM100 million was disbursed to political allies for election purposes. The rest of the US$650 million only the PM can explain. Najib is caught, and the longer he overstays as PM, the worse it is for him, Umno and the nation. When he is finally dumped and the truth is revealed, there will be little or no compassion for him.

There is increasing disarray within Umno, and members are beginning to speak out. The manner in which they do so is also being questioned. More is made of this than the issues posed! Umno remains a race-based party that has championed rent seeking, strengthened a feudal culture based on patronage and is now is unable to deal with the challenges posed by today’s reality. The party’s democratic culture is in ruins.

“People first, performance now” has to be evaluated, otherwise it remains a slogan at best. Political parties are evaluated on the basis of democratic governance and accountability. Does Umno stand for any issue apart from ethnic chauvinism? Can they continue to pull a nation of diversity together and journey into the future?

If Umno is not able to do so, then there are other choices for Malaysians. There are many in Malaysia who want the country to be progressive and democratic, value its diversity, champion its judiciary, heighten its governance and provide what is just and fair for all Malaysians. This cannot be achieved on the basis of greed for a few at the expense of justice for all. Today what we witness is rampant, unfettered greed rationalised by lies and more lies.

We have Rahman Dahlan admitting that the PM had to take people out when he knew that there was a charge sheet against him from the A-G’s Chamber. This explains the “missing in action” status of former A-G Tan Sri Abdul Ghani Patail. So Muhyidin and Shafie Apdal together with the task force had to be eliminated to secure the position of the PM. This only vindicates Sarawak Report’s exposure of the existence of a charge sheet against the PM.

How is it that the money from the so-called donor was not fully used for the purpose for which it was given, namely to fund the last election? How could the Umno president authorise the movement of unutilised money back to Singapore?

We are told that the account was then closed. As the account was in his name, we can only conclude that he authorised its closure and the transfer of money. Where is the money presently? This only confirms the non-existence of any donor.

Has the money gone back to the Cayman Islands? How can we trust the present A-G who dismissed the very existence of a charge sheet? So the deception and cover-up continues. New stories are elaborated to fit changing circumstances. Everyone, even those within Umno and Barisan Nasional, realises that their party is facing a serious trust deficit dilemma.

The reality is that very few, if any, seem interested in addressing this challenge and pulling the party together. The only mechanisms available are to postpone party elections and meetings. Where are the progressive voices within Umno and BN calling for the party to pull together and seek the changes that are needed?

The road that our present leaders are taking leads us from a trust deficit to moral and ethical bankruptcy. Citizens are left with no options but to exert leadership and to state their views. Our currency devaluation is also a reflection of the present day crisis. What we hear makes fools of us and we seem to continuously suffer from the ridiculous statements that present leaders make.

We can only conclude that for all its rhetoric, the present Umno leaders are not interested in honesty, nor do they reflect the integrity to make a difference. How can the PM remain the finance minister and take actions that undercut the work of PAC and the task force? Statements of fear expressed by the deputy commissioner of MACC and the governor of Bank Negara are indications of the ongoing struggle to hold on to power at any cost.

Every Umno and BN member must ultimately realise that personal loyalty to any individual has its limits and only a higher loyalty to Allah, one’s constitution, institution or vision can provide the integrity necessary to make the right decision and, in this instance, in the interest of the nation. – August 18, 2015.

                This entry was posted on Tuesday, 18 August 2015, 11:51 pm and is filed under
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Himpunan ulama progresif serlah keterbukaan politik Islam

A Shukur Harun

The Malaysian Insider

18th August 2015

Sehari suntuk mengikuti sekumpulan ulama progresif dalam majlis Nadwah Ulama Nahdhah Jadidah 2015 (Nunji ’15) di Shah Alam Sabtu lalu mendedahkan kita kepada keterbukaan fiqh yang merangkumi politik Islam sesuai dengan keadaan masyarakat majmuk di negara ini.

Nunji ’15 itu berjaya mengumpulkan ulama yang berfikiran terbuka dan mendukung aspirasi Gerakan Harapan Baru (GHB) yang bercita-cita membawa rakyat Malaysia kepada Islam sebagai “Rahmatan lil Alamin” (Rahmat seluruh alam) dengan sifatnya yang teguh, anjal, toleran dan adil.

Ini satu perkembangan baharu dalam memahami kemurnian tasawuur Islam, terutama mengenai hukum-hakam yang dilihat sering diselubungi kejumudan dan shadid (keras), menyebabkan wajah Islam yang sepatutnya ceria dan ramah menjadi bengis, malah menakutkan.

Dengan lebih 500 orang peserta menghadirinya, terdiri daripada ustaz/ustazah dengan sokongan kuat pelbagai pihak, khususnya NGO seperti Ikram, Abim, dan lain-lain, menggambarkan sokongan luar biasa terhadap sebuah cita-cita besar yang dipelopori oleh GHB – yang akan menjadi parti politik bernuansa Islam awal bulan depan.

Cita-citanya ialah mengenengahkan Islam yang syumul dan benar-benar murni dan hebat.

Perbincangan Nunji ’15 itu sendiri pula turut diikuti ribuan pendengar luar negara, menunjukkan pelbagai golongan masyarakat amat mengharapkan kejayaan usaha GHB ini iaitu memberikan pencerahan kepada tuntutan Islam sebenar, khususnya pembentukan formula “Fiqh Malaysia” yang sesuai untuk negara bermasyarakat majmuk ini.

Tahniah kepada Datuk Dr Mujahid Yusuf Rawa yang memimpin Nunji ’15 itu dengan jayanya dan juga Setiausaha GHB, Dr Dzulkefly Ahmad serta pimpinan GHB seluruhnya serta pembentang kertas kerja Nunji 15 itu.

Nadwah ulama itu dirasmikan oleh Penasihat GHB, Ahmad Awang yang juga ketua Ittihad Ulama Sedunia Cawangan Malaysia. Ucapan utamanya oleh Sheikh Sayyid Muhammad Ferjani (salah seorang pimpinan parti An-Nahdah Tunisia) dengan moderatornya Ridzuan Abu Bakar.

Kertas kerja pertama dibentangkan Datuk Dr Siddiq Fadzil, diulas oleh Dzulkefly, sementara kertas kerja kedua oleh Datuk Dr Wan Salim Wan Mohd Noor dengan Dr Maszlee Malik sebagai pengulas.

Kertas kerja selanjutnya Dr Mohd Farid Sheikh Ahmad dan diulas Dr Dzulqarnain Lukman. Disusuli forum di mana panelnya Hasanudin Mohd Yunus, Dr Siti Mariah Mahmud dengan moderatornya, Asrul Hakim Suradi.

Majlis diakhiri dengan ucapan penutup pemimpin utama GHB, Mohamad Sabu, yang sangat menekankan persoalan integriti yang perlu ada dalam sesebuah parti politik. Parti baharu ini, katanya, berusaha ke arah itu.

Dalam ucapan alu-aluannya, Mujahid berkata, sebagai sebuah NGO yang akan segera menjadi parti politik, GHB melihat dengan cermat segala perubahan yang berlaku, termasuk suasana hubungan agama dan kaum yang semakin tegang ketika ini.

“Atas dasar itu, GHB terpanggil mencari satu formula penyelesaian kepada kemelut yang berlaku, dengan menjadikan Islam sebagai teras penyatuan,” katanya.

Menurutnya, GHB dan rakan-rakan berusaha mencari formula pendekatan Islam dalam bernegara dan melahirkan “fikrah Malaysia”.

Mengikuti ucapan Ferjani sangat menarik, iaitu pengalaman An-Nahdah yang terlibat dalam politik Tunisia. Parti Islam itu pernah menang dan kalah dalam pertarungan pilihan raya di negara itu.

Oleh kerana An-Nahdah sentiasa menitikberatkan integriti, sangat peduli rakyat, sederhana, maka ia sangat dihormati dan diajak berkongsi kuasa dengan parti yang menang di negara itu di mana An-Nahdah menerimanya.

Menurut pemimpin An-Nahdah itu, parti politik Islam tidak boleh bersendirian, ia perlu berkongsi kuasa dengan parti lain dengan segala keterbukaan dan toleransinya.

Adalah tidak munasabah, katanya, jika sesebuah arti Islam hendak memasuki pilihan raya bersendirian dan hendak memerintah. Beliau seperti merujuk kepada situasi di negara ini yang bermasyarakat majmuk.

Ferjani menekankan parti politik Islam mestilah berjuang bersama membangun ekonomi rakyat, memperlihatkan keadilan Islam hingga semua rakyat dapat melihat keadilannya.

Baginya, Islam tidak sekedar hukum-hakam, tetapi juga peri kemanusiaan, toleransi, keadilan, kasih sayang sesama manusia.

Ini, katanya, banyak ditekankan di dalam Al-Quran dan Sunnah dan inilah yang dilaksanakan oleh An-Nahdah sebagai gerakan dan parti politik Islam.

Beliau kali kedua berkunjung ke Malaysia dan sebanyak sendikit memahami situasi negara ini yang memiliki masyarakat majmuk yang unik. Menurutnya, tidak mungkin sebuah parti Islam betapa pun lama dan berpengalaman mampu berjuang bersendirian mendapatkan kuasa, melainkan bertahalluf-siyasi dengan parti lain.

Baik Siddiq, Maszlee dan pembentang serta pengulas kerja yang lain di wacana tersebut, semuanya memberikan pandangan bagaimana Rasulullah (s.a.w.) melaksanakan politik tolleransi dan pandangan jauhnya.

Mereka menyebut mengenai peristiwa Hilful Fadhul, Perjanjian Hudaibiyah, pembukaan kota Mekah, layanan Rasulullah terhadap orang Islam dan bukan-Islam di Madinah, malah terhadap golongan Yahudi sendiri, peristiwa baginda melarang anak ketua golongan munafiq, Abdullah Ubayy daripada membunuh bapanya, peristiwa Taif, dan lain-lain.

Demikian juga baginda tidak meneruskan hasratnya mengalih kedudukan Ka’bah ke tempat asalnya selepas banjir akibat pecahnya ampangan Maarib. Ini semata-mata memikirkan persepsi golongan yang baru memeluk Islam di Mekah.

Pelbagai peristiwa lagi yang semuanya mencerminkan Baginda sangat mengambil kira persepsi masyarakat serta suasana persekitaran.

Menurut pembentang dan pengulas kertas kerja ini, sesiapa yang hendak mendukung politik Islam mestilah mencontohi semua kaedah politik Islam Nabi ini, kerana menelusuri masalah dan mengatasinya adalah tuntutan syariat Islam itu sendiri.

Tulisan saya akan datang akan memfokuskan lagi beberapa pandangan agamawan progresif dalam program Nunji ’15 itu. – 18 Ogos, 2015.

                This entry was posted on Tuesday, 18 August 2015, 11:14 pm and is filed under
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If a new Islamist party is formed by Merdeka Day, hopefully a new Pakatan Baru would be formed by Malaysia Day

Dr. Dzukefly Ahmad, the secretary of Gerakan Harapan Baru, expects a new Islamist party to be formed by Merdeka Day on August 31.

If a new Islamist party is formed by Merdeka Day, hopefully a new Pakatan Baru, whether called Pakatan Rakyat 2.0, Harapan Rakyat or any other name, would be formed by Malaysia Day and be the rallying point of Malaysians, regardless of race, religion or region for fundamental political changes in Malaysia to save Malaysia from the disasters of a rogue and failed state.

The seven-year Pakatan Rakyat from 2008 to 2015 had been a seminal period in the political life of Malaysia, arousing anew the hopes and aspirations of Malaysians, cutting across race, religion, region, gender and age, for the fulfillment of the Malaysian Dream where every Malaysian can achieve his or her potential in the country, and to be treated as an equal citizen with political freedom, human rights, economic justice and enjoying all the human dignity and  basic socio-economic rights which every human being in a modern society in the 21st century is entitled to.

Unfortunately, the Pakatan Rakyat died after fighting one general election in 2013, breaking the hearts of all Malaysians who had vested such high hopes and trust in PR.

I am most saddened by the demise of Pakatan Rakyat (PR), at the hopes unfulfilled, but as a political realist, it is clear that there is no way to avoid the death of Pakatan Rakyat when one of the three component parties refused to abide by the PR Common Policy Framework on the principles and policies to be pursued in common by PR.

There were already signs of trouble in PR when in the 2013 general election, PAS President Datuk Seri Hadi Awang approved PAS candidates to provoke three-cornered fights in six State Assembly seats, benefitting the UMNO candidates concerned.

Then a year later, Hadi insisted on overruling the PR Leadership Council unanimous decision and even the PAS Central Committee on the appointment of PKR President Datuk Seri Dr. Azizah Wan Ismail as the Selangor Mentri Besar in place on Khalid Ibrahim, and early this year, violated his personal commitment at the PR Leadership Council to first refer proposed amendments to the Kelantan hudud bill and any PAS private member’s bill in Parliament for discussion by the PR Leadership Council.

Looking back, it may be a blessing in disguise that PR failed to win the majority of the parliamentary  seats in the 13th General Election, for if the majority had been a slim one, PR would be at the mercy of the PAS President, who had never accepted Anwar Ibrahim as the PR candidate to be the Prime Minister of Malaysia.

In such circumstances, if Hadi had persisted in his opposition to Anwar as the PR Prime Minister of Malaysia, he may decide to swing his parliamentary numbers in support of the UMNO nominee, creating the first major crisis for Pakatan Rakyat even before a PR government in Putrajaya could get going.

We must learn from these mistakes in PR and ensure that the new Pakatan Rakyat to be formed with the formation of the new Islamist party by Merdeka Day will have more unity of purpose, more cohesive and united in effecting far-reaching political changes in Malaysia.

[Speech (2) at the DAP forum “Ke Mana Halatuju Malaysia” at Tropical Inn, Johor Baru on Monday, 17th August 2015 at 9 pm]

                This entry was posted on Tuesday, 18 August 2015, 8:26 am and is filed under
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IGP should ensure that police single-mindedly focus on fighting crime to make Malaysians safe instead of playing the  game of their political masters like probing Zahid’s ridiculous claim of a campaign to topple the government

The Inspector-General of Police, Tan Sri Khalid Abu Bakar should ensure that the police focus single-mindedly on fighting crime to make Malaysians safe in their homes, offices and public places instead of playing the game of their political masters like probing the Deputy Prime Minister-cum-Home Minister, Datuk Seri Zahid Hamidi’s ridiculous claim of a campaign to topple the government, when no offence has been disclosed.

Khalid was very proud to say yesterday that the police had received three reports in relation to Zahid’s calim that there is a campaign to topple the government and that the reports will be investigated under Section 124B of the Penal Code on “activities detrimental to parliamentary democracy” which carries maximum penalty of 20 years in jail.

Did Khalid sense the nation-wide gasp of disgust and disbelief that  the police under his leadership are continuing to squander scarce police resources and precious police time to play the game of their political masters and  go on a wild goose chase when the police priority should be an unerring agenda to  slash the crime rate to make Malaysia a safe country for citizens and investors?

Firstly, can Khalid explain what offence had been disclosed by the so-called three police reports based on Zahid’s claim that there is a campaign to topple the government?

Section 124B of the Penal Code applies only when there is the element of “violent or unconstitutional means” to topple the elected government. It is an open-and-shut case if the complainants could not disclose any “violent or unconstitutional means” employed in any campaign to topple the government, and the three who lodged police reports under this section should be prosecuted for  lodging false police reports.

In any event, if Zahid’s claim of a campaign to topple the government relates to “violent or unconstitutional means”  to topple the elected government under Section 124B of the Penal Code, wouldn’t Zahid be guilty of a gross dereliction of duty in failing to lodge a police report and giving the police all available evidence?

The very fact that Zahid had not lodged any police report is surely evidence enough that no criminal element is involved in terms of any violent or unconstitutional means and the police should stop wasting police resources and police time just to humour their political masters.

Zahid’s so-called expose of a plot by an Umno leader to topple the government by collecting statutory declarations (SD) of UMNO, Barisan Nasional and Opposition MPs has sparked a political mini-storm.

A blog had published the names of the 20 UMNO/BN MPs, which included Umno Youth chief Khairy Jamaluddin and the new Deputy Home Minister Nur Jazlan Mohamad, for being involved in such a plot to topple the government.

Are the police going to interrogate every one of these 20 names UMNO/BN MPs as to their loyalties to the Prime Minister, Datuk Seri Najib Razak?

Is it an offence of anyone of these 20 UMNO/BN MPs or anyone not mentioned in this group of 20 who feel that the time has come for Najib to step down as Prime Minister?

Is this a crime under Section 124B of the Penal Code, justifying for the police to charge the MP concerned under this section and to send the MP to prison for up to 20 years!

This is utterly ridiculous and Malaysia would immediately cease to be a democratic country.

Any UMNO/BN MP with such an inclination may have committed a breach of party discipline but definitely not committed any offence under the law of the land – which is why the Police should butt out of such political matters.

Zaidi has his reasons  – which has nothing to do with law and order and therefore no business of the police to try to “help out” – for shouting from the rooftops of a plot to topple the government.

But is such a plot credible?

Such a game-plan is based on the assumption that with the Opposition’s 88 MPs, all that is needed to topple Najib and replace the present government (including Zahid as Deputy Prime Minister) with a new Prime Minister and new government is to get the support of 24 MPs from UMNO/BN – giving a total of 112 MPs which would be a simple majority in the 222-strong Malaysian Parliament.

But there is a major catch here, as it is wrong to postulate that there are 88 Opposition MPs who support the toppling of Najib as Prime Minister at any one time.

It is clear from recent statements by the PAS President, Datuk Seri Hadi Awang, the the new PAS leadership under him  is very sympathetic and supportive of the Najib premiership and even his 1MDB problems.

When things come a crunch in Parliament on a vote of no confidence on Najib as premier, it may be a strategic error to assume that all the 21 PAS MPs would support DAP and PKR in any vote of no confidence in Najib, as about half may remain loyal to Hadi’s supportive stance for Najib.

This reduces the Opposition MPs who may support a vote of no confidence in Najib to around 77 MPs, which would require more UMNO/BN MPs to come on board to secure a simple majority in a parliamentary vote of no confidence in Najib.

Is this likely?  I have grave doubts.

Be that as it may, such  electoral arithmetic is not going to be that easy to achieve – though this is strictly a political manoeuvre involving party discipline which has nothing to do with violation of any law of the land and should  be of no concern of the Police whatsoever.

                This entry was posted on Tuesday, 18 August 2015, 12:46 pm and is filed under
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The Arrival of Islam as a Momentous Event in Malay Culture

M. Bakri Musa

www.bakrimusa.com

The arrival of Islam was “the most momentous event in the history of the Malay archipelago,” to quote Syed Naquib al-Attas. It came not through the point of the sword but peacefully through trade. Islam did not land in a cultural and religious vacuum as Malays were already steeped in Hindu and animist traditions. Nor did the Arabs come to emancipate our ancestors; there was no messianic zeal or even an inclination to engage in their salvation.

      Those Muslims came only to trade; there was no intention to dominate or colonize. Their Islamic faith and the prevailing Malay culture interacted through gradual and mutual accommodation. The result was that “the local genius of the people shone through” in the melding of the two, to quote Farish Noor, respected scholar and frequent commentator on Malaysian affairs.

     This was vividly illustrated with my matriarchal Adat Perpateh. It coexisted peacefully with traditional male-dominated Islam, demonstrating a brilliant and workable synthesis of the two. Malays did not repudiate our traditional ways to become Muslims, and Islam was not adulterated to accommodate Malay culture. Both were remarkably malleable to and adaptive of each other.

     This accommodative attitude is best captured by the Minangkabau wisdom, Adat menurun, syarak mendaki (‘custom descended, religion ascended’), in reference to the belief that the Minangkabau descended from the highlands, the heartland of the culture, to meet Islam as it ascended from the coast. Both Islam and Malay were elevated as a consequence of the melding.

      Expressions like Adat basandi syarak, syarak basandi kitabullah (Customs based on shari’a; shari’a on Koran), and the more practical, Syarak mengato, adat memakai (Sharia prescribes, adat subscribes) attest to this grand accommodation. The sociologist Taufik Abdullah expressed it best, “The genius of Minangkabau is to synthesize contradictions harmoniously.” There were certainly contradictions real as well as imagined between Islam and traditional Malay culture, but our ancestors took them in stride and with composure.

      It is said that a Minangkabau baby is fed white rice and red chili early so it could learn at a very young age to tolerate opposites. Later we would go beyond mere tolerating to actually relishing contradictions. Thus as adults we could not do without our rice and sambal (chili paste).

     Of course all these happened several centuries ago, long before the advent of “purist” Islamists. Today these purists would condemn any accommodation of the faith as bida’a (adulteration). Little wonder that Malays of that religious persuasion are today busy rewriting history to obliterate our legitimate pre-Islamic existence. They would like us to believe that prior to the arrival of Islam, Malays were cultureless and devoid of any spiritual values, and that our history began only with the arrival of Islam.

     Thus instead of learning and benefiting from the wisdom and ingenuity of our ancestors in synthesizing contradictions harmoniously, these later-day Islamists are obsessed with “purifying” and “cleansing” our faith of what they deem to be “un-Islamic” and “primitive” elements.

     These purists obviously have not learned anything from our recent history. They should remember that the last time this “cleansing” effort took place it triggered the Padri War from 1821-37 in West Sumatra. That conflict succeeded only in further tightening of Dutch colonial rule.

     Today there is little risk that the Malay world would ever be colonized again, our leaders’ fear of neo-colonization notwithstanding. Colonialism is no longer cool, except in such odd places like Chechnya and Tibet. However there is a fate far worse than being colonized, and that is being left behind by a rapidly modernizing world.

     This preoccupation with Islamic “cleansing” distracts Malays, especially the idealistic younger set looking for a cause and meaning to their life, from making their rightful contributions to society. It is far too easy for their religious zeal to degenerate into something sinister, as with futile “jihads” against phantom enemies of Islam.

     A notorious and tragic example was the “Bali bomber,” Dr. Azahari Husin. Smart enough to be the top student at Malay College, Kuala Kangsar, he was later selected to pursue his engineering degree in Australia and subsequently, doctoral work in Britain.

     By all accounts he was a competent academic and an inspiring teacher. He could have made a significant contribution by training future engineers, quite apart from being a much-needed role model especially for young Malays. Somewhere along the line he acquired a zeal for “purifying” the faith. Instead of making a meaningful contribution, he ended up leaving behind a trail of death and destruction. A needless tragedy, for him, his family, and society!

     At the community level, this increased emphasis in religion has resulted in, among other things, our national schools taking on all the trappings of a religious institution. As a result non-Muslims are abandoning the system in droves making these schools all the more insular. Malays too are abandoning the system but for the very opposite reason – these schools are deemed not religious enough! As a consequence religious schools now mushroom all over the country.

     Unlike religious schools in America, those in Malaysia are heavy into religion, paying lip service to such important but deemed “secular subjects” as science and mathematics. Then we wonder why local companies cannot get enough qualified Malay applicants.

     This emphasis on religion has resulted in the massive expansion of the bureaucracy associated with Islam just to employ these otherwise unemployable Malay graduates. This further encourages Malays to enroll in religious schools, feeding this non-productive cycle. Today thousands of Malay talents are diverted not in producing something for the economy but in the destructive pursuit of keeping citizens along the “straight and narrow path,” as these zealots see it.

     If this were to continue, we could expect a modern version of the Padri War, with the Malay community in conflict with each other and be left behind. This time there would be no outside force coming to mediate or rescue us; we would be left destroying each other while the world bypassed us.

     The need for Malays and Muslims today is not to further divide us by heaping useless labels as liberal or conservative Muslims, or needlessly dividing us into tudung-clad versus the well-coiffured. As so eloquently stated in the Koran, true piety lies not in turning your face to the east or west (as in praying) rather one who spends his substance on his kin, the orphans, the needy, and the wayfarer.

    In order to do that we first must have the substance, that is, be productive. This obsession with the external manifestations of our faith distracts us from being so and thus contributing to the betterment of our society.

Adapted from the author’s latest book, Liberating The Malay Mind, ZI Publications Sdn Bhd, Petaling Jaya, Malaysia , 2013.

Next: The Lessons From Our Encounter With Islam

                This entry was posted on Tuesday, 18 August 2015, 5:46 pm and is filed under
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The DAP and I

By Mohd Shahrir Asri

Malaysiakini

18th August 2015

“DAP parti komunis cina. Mereka hendak melenyapkan Melayu dan Islam di Malaysia. Cina2 babi semua tu”.
 I have been hearing that from almost all Malays since 1987 (I have been interested in politics since I was 12 years old) and I thought it will still be that for years to come.

However, despite all that, I decided to join DAP on July 10, 2015 because I see hope in them and I think I can contribute to make things better for Malaysia, Pakatan and DAP. By the way, my name is Mohd Shahrir Asri and I am a Malay.

The ‘courting’

Growing up in Batu Pahat, Johor, most will expect me to give my undivided support to Barisan Nasional (BN). If I am not mistaken, Lim Kit Siang, Lim Guan Eng, Chua Soi Lek, Chua Jui Meng and many more went to the same school as me, High School Batu Pahat. But of course they are my super seniors.

Batu Pahat is no stranger to the May 13 story and it is a fact that Malays and Chinese are trying very hard to get past that black history. Regardless of all this, DAP is known as communist and has no position in Batu Pahat.

Being the stubborn child, I always have my own opinion and prefer to challenge anything baseless or unclear. I loved Umno and hated DAP but I have no idea why, but at the back of my mind, I was screaming for clarity. Back in my younger days in primary school, I would gather all of the party flags and hang it on my Mom’s fence. There were Umno, S46, PAS, DAP, MCA, MIC and all hanging from one end to the other end of the house’s fence and gate.

I told my mum, “Let them know that we will vote whomever is right and honest”. That was my thinking before and I don’t think I have changed much since then, especially when it comes to politic.

The late Karpal Singh and Lim Kit Siang are the two politicians that I hate and envy simultaneously. I hate it when they challenge Ketuanan Melayu with their slogan of ‘Malaysian Malaysia’; but envy their tenacity and consistency at it. With all odds stack up against them, they inched forward anyway.

Despite the one-sided media, draconian laws and partial legislatures; both of them have been nothing but a constant torn to the ruling BN. Watching them from the outside while growing up and then from the inside of Umno when I got back from overseas, the hate turned to respect and finally from respect to envy. Just for the record, Nik Aziz Nik Mat, Anwar Ibrahim, Tengku Razaleigh Hamzah (Ku Li) and Shahrir Samad have been my inspiration all the while.

Status quo

Things changed a lot from 1987 to 2007, and even more from 2007 to 2015. We have seen monumental change in Malaysia social culture identity shaping, political awareness, interracial assimilation and the most highly debated of interreligion coexistence. It is almost the paradigm shift and quantum leap that Mahathir Mohamad was begging to see for his Vision 2020 to happen, but not in the direction he would be content with.

BN is losing its grip from their own doings and sheer arrogance, while Pakatan is gaining at the pace that they themselves never imagined. Like it or not, Pakatan is heading to where BN was back in the 50s and 60s, while BN is heading the other way to where opposition used to be.

Having said that, please be very clear that back in 2007 and 2010, I offered my services to the opposition of the Selangor state government for free but they were not interested. Even when some of their MPs were saying the stupidest of things, they still think they are doing and saying the right thing. That moment has gone and now I am looking for ways to contribute and give back to the society and country, and I see DAP as the best platform and environment to do so.

Why DAP?

PAS has been my initial target but the departure of Nik Aziz literally changed my decision. PAS is taking a dive at an unprecedented rate to oblivion for reasons only they can digest. While DAP is losing its grip on their foundation with the demise of the late Karpal Singh, and Lim Kit Siang is having a tough time to hold back those unnecessary loud and foul mouths from DAP.

Lastly, with Anwar Ibrahim in the jail, PKR is now focusing so much on Selangor, while leaving Pakatan matters to the likes of Nurul Izzah Anwar, Rafizi Ramli and Tony Pua almost singlehandedly.  Pakatan really need help from anywhere, everywhere and anyone, in my opinion.

I chose DAP because they have been progressive and consistent with their drive for a better Malaysia. It helps to decide when I see the like of my poetry idol, Tuan A Samad Said, joining them recently. With his personal contribution through his sheer presence, his poets and his thoughts, Pak Samad is doing more than the average Malaysians. He is now at the stage of giving back to the society by his own means and capacity.

I am in the opinion that the change has to start from you as an individual. I started by first casting my vote in the last few elections. Now I am taking it a step forward by giving back to the society through what I believe I can contribute. In the spirit of what Mahatma Gandhi said, “Be the change that you wish to see in the world”, let me be part it.

                This entry was posted on Tuesday, 18 August 2015, 5:55 pm and is filed under
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Amid economic uncertainty, G25 warns against undermining BNM’s Zeti

The Malay Mail Online

August 19, 2015

KUALA LUMPUR, Aug 19 — Bank Negara Malaysia (BNM) must remain free of political influence and be allowed to execute its duties professionally, a group of Malay ex-civil servants said amid rumours of pressure on the central bank’s governor.

Citing economic uncertainty fuelled by the declining ringgit as well as the 1Malaysia Development Berhad (1MDB) scandal, the so-called G25 urged the federal government not to cast aspersions on BNM officials as well as those among the country’s vital institutions.

The group pointed out that confidence in BNM’s ability to carry out its duties has been the most important factor contributing to investor confidence and economic development for Malaysia, as speculation remains that Tan Sri Zeti Akhtar Aziz may be forced to leave over an alleged leak of information from an investigation into 1MDB.

“While there were doubts on the independence of the judiciary and capacity of other institutions, the confidence in the strength and capability of Bank Negara Malaysia in steering the financial sector to support economic growth has always been sustained and has been the single most important factor contributing to investor confidence and favourable economic prospects for Malaysia,” the statement read.

“Today, as the country faces an unprecedented test of its governance at the highest level which unfortunately is cascading into an economic downturn and threatening financial stability, only by allowing its key institutions to undertake their functions independently can Malaysia hope to redeem itself and stall the contagion which is emerging from a governance issue into an economic and financial setback,” it added.

The ringgit has lost nearly a fifth of its value versus the US dollar since last year and is currently trading around 4.09 to the greenback, while Malaysia’ gross domestic product slowed to 4.9 per cent in the last quarter — the slowest in two years.

G25 said that the government cannot blame external parties for the economic troubles it is facing and must instead do all it can to ensure that institutions are able to continue to carry out their work.

“Any actions now to cast aspersions on the integrity of Bank Negara Malaysia, its governor and its senior officials will have significant adverse consequences,” the group stressed, adding that principles of good governance were key to the strength and independence of the Central Bank.

“Further, during Governor Zeti’s tenure, the reputation of Bank Negara Malaysia in upholding good governance in the financial sector, as well as building the human capital and technical expertise of the central bank has made Bank Negara Malaysia a role model in many parts of the developing and emerging world,” it said.

Zeti has declared that she intends to see through her term as Bank Negara Malaysia (BNM) governor, and that she expects to remain in charge of the country’s central bank until her current term expires in April 2016.

Rumours have been circulating over the past few weeks that Zeti will resign as BNM governor for health reasons.

This was after Tan Sri Abdul Gani Patail was removed unexpectedly as Attorney-General, also over “health reasons”.

Both Zeti and Gani, up to his removal, had been part of a multi-agency special taskforce investigating 1MDB as well as allegations linked to a RM2.6 billion deposit into Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak’s personal accounts.

The Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) has since said that the deposits were “donations” from the Middle East.

The taskforce has also since been disbanded.

                This entry was posted on Wednesday, 19 August 2015, 7:11 pm and is filed under
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