Is Hadi suggesting that only 1% of the 1.9 billion Muslims in the world are qualify as  true Muslims, as all Muslim countries except for Malaysia and Brunei, have ratified the International Covenant of the Elimination of Racial Discrimination (Icerd)

PAS President, Datuk Seri Hadi Awang has upped the ante and declared that all Muslims must oppose the ratification of the International Convention of the Elimination of Racial Discrimination (Icerd).

Is he suggesting that only one per cent of the 1.9 billion Muslim in the world qualify to be called true Muslims as all Muslim countries including all the Muslim countries in the Middle East except for Malaysia and Brunei have ratified the International Convention of the Elimination of Racial Discrimination (Icerd)?

The countries which have ratified Icerd, some with reservations, include the following 36 countries:

Countries

Population

Muslim Population

Muslim % of total Population

Yemen

28 mil

28 million

100%

Mauritania

4 mil

4 mil

100%

Maldives

378,000

378,000

100%

Tunisia

11.4 mil

11.1 mil

99.8%

Afghanitan

34 mil

34 million

99.7%

Iran

81.7 mil

81.5 mil

99.4%

Turkey

81 mil

80 mil

99.0%

Iraq

39 mil

38.9 mil

99.0%

Morocco

34.7 mil

34 mil

99.0%

Algeria

41 mil

40 mil

99.0%

Niger

21.4 mil

19.5 mil

98.3%

Saudi Arabia

34 mil

32 mil

97.1%

Sudan

40 mil

39 mil

97.0%

Azerbaijan

9.9 mil

9.6 mil

96.9%

Tajikistan

8.9 mil

7.6 mil

96.7%

Uzbekistan

32.6 mil

26.5 mil

96.5%

Pakistan

201 mil

198 mil

96.4%

Libya

6.5 mil

6.3 mil

96.0%

Senegal

16 mil

15 mil

95.9%

Mali

19 mil

15.6 mil

95.0%

Turkmenistan

5.8 mil

4.8 mil

93.3%

Jordan

10.2 mil

9.9 mil

93.8%

Bangladesh

165 mil

148 mil

90.4%

Kazakhstan

18.2 mil

13 mil

90.2%

Egypt

97 mil

87 mil

90.0%

Kyrgyzstan

6.3 mil

4.9 mil

88.8%

Indonesia

265 mil

227 mil

87.2%

Oman

4.6 mil

2.4 mil

85.9%

Qatar

2.5 mil

1.6 mil

77.5%

UAB

9.5 mil

4.6 mil

76.0%

Kuwait

4.2 mil

2.6 mil

74.1%

Bahrain

1.5 mil

866,000

70.2%

Lebanon

6.1 mil

3.3 mil

54.0%

Nigeria

193 mil

95 mil

50.0%

India

1,300 mil

189 mil

14.2%

Malaysia and Brunei are among the 14 countries which have not ratified the Icerd. Malaysia has about 19 million Muslims and Brunei 350,000 Muslims.

Even China, which has about 50 million Muslims, have acceded to Icerd in 1981.

Is Hadi suggesting that 99% of Muslims in the world who are from countries who have ratified or acceded to Icerd are not genuine Muslims?

We wait for an explanation from Hadi.

                This entry was posted on Wednesday, 21 November 2018, 5:36 pm and is filed under
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It must be history’s most pathetic mea culpa, contrived  and totally unconvincing, completely unable to evoke sympathy and understanding, let alone pity

It must be history’s most pathetic mea culpa, contrived  and totally unconvincing,  completely unable to evoke sympathy and understanding let alone pity.

Who would believe Datuk Seri Najib Razak’s admission that his administration was cheated by fugitive financier Jho Low, the other mastermind of the 1MDB scandal?

Please stand forward and declare yourself and we have the new suckers in Malaysia!

The United States Department of Justice (DoJ) largest kleptocratic litigation to forfeit US$1.7 billion of US$4.5 billion 1MDB-linked assets, first initiated in July 2016, provided Najib with the last opportunity to dissociate and exonerate himself of any guilt or role in the 1MDB scandal, but Najib was  so sure and brazen with power  that he could get away with the 1MDB scandal, he spearheaded an international façade and charade of an international conspiracy to topple him as Prime Minister of Malaysia making use of the 1MDB scandal, which he claimed until his interview today was a concoction and a lie.

Najib was named as “Malaysian Official 1” (“MO1”), which his right-hand Cabinet Minister, Datuk Abdul Rahman Dahlan, openly told the world was Najib, but did he object to implication in the 1MDB scandal?

What would have happened if Najib had won the 14th General Election on May 9, 2018?

Najib would have completely isolated Malaysia from the world, claiming that there is an international conspiracy against him and Jho Low, and that he would not succumb to such international pressures.

In fact, even the Free Masons would be trotted out to defend him against the imaginary international conspiracy.

Is Najib admitting that all the criminal charges which had been levelled against him in connection with the 1MDB scandal had substance?

Is he going to plead guilty to all the criminal charges in connection with the 1MDB scandal?

The greatest challenge today is to transform Malaysia from a global kleptocracy into a leading nation of integrity!

Would Najib, UMNO and PAS leaders sign on to this national mission?

(Media Comment by DAP MP for Iskandar Puteri Lim Kit Siang in Parliament on Thursday, 22nd November 2018)

                This entry was posted on Thursday, 22 November 2018, 3:51 pm and is filed under
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Malaysia should emulate Abu Dhabi’s IPIC and sue Goldman Sachs to recover US$7.1 billion for losses suffered as a result of three bonds totaling US$6.5 billion and US600 million commission to Goldman Sachs

Malaysia should emulate Abu Dhabi’s International Petroleum Investment Co. (IPIC) and sue Goldman Sachs to recover US$7.1 bilion for losses suffered as a result of three bonds totally US$6.5 billion and US$600 million commission to Goldman Sachs.

Abu Dhabi’s International Petroleum Investment Co (IPIC) yesterday  filed a lawsuit against US investment bank Goldman Sachs and others to recover losses suffered through its dealings with Malaysian state fund 1MDB.

1MDB is the subject of corruption and money-laundering investigations in at least six countries.

IPIC said it filed a civil legal action in New York against Goldman, and others, alleging they “played a central role in a long-running effort to corrupt former executives of IPIC and its subsidiary Aabar Investments, and mislead IPIC and Aabar.”

The suit alleged Goldman conspired with unidentified people from Malaysia to bribe Khadem Abdulla al-Qubaisi, former IPIC managing director and Aabar chairperson, and Mohamed Ahmed Badawy al-Husseiny, former Aabar chief executive, to further the business of Goldman and 1MDB at the expense of IPIC and Aabar.

The Malaysian government has indicated that it would be asking Goldman Sachs to return nearly US $600 million in fees it earned from bonds raised for scandal-tainted 1Malaysia Development Berhad (1MDB), but the action by Abu Dhabi’s IPIC has reinforced the case for litigation to be filed by the Malaysian government against Goldman Sachs for the three bonds totally US$6.5 billion, the bulk of which had been misappropriated and embezzled.

(Media Comment (2) by DAP MP for Iskandar Puteri Lim Kit Siang in Parliament on Thursday, 22nd November 2018)

                This entry was posted on Thursday, 22 November 2018, 4:29 pm and is filed under
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More questions about Hadi and PAS MPs’ position on ICERD

Yesterday, I asked the PAS President Datuk Seri Hadi Awang what he really meant when he said that all Muslims must oppose the ratification of the International Covenant on the Elimination of All Forms of Racial Discrimination (ICERD) when the Covenant had been ratified by countries representing 99% of the 1.9 billion Muslims in the world, including  countries like Saudi Arabia, Iran, Iraq, Egypt, Jordan, Yemen, Oman, Qatar, UAB, Algeria, Pakistan, Turkey, Tunisia, Morocco, Indonesia and Bangladesh.

While we wait for answer from the PAS President, Hadi can also explain why 55 of the 57 countries of the Organisation of Islamic Conference (OIC) States have ratified ICERD, except for Malaysia and Brunei.  Is there a suggestion that somehow the 99% the world’s 1.9 billion Muslims, who live in 55 of the 57 OIC countries, have  been misled and not as Muslim as Hadi would want them to be?

If ratification  of ICERD means condemnation of the Muslims to a life of injustice and oppression, can Hadi expain why 48 of 50 countries where Muslims make up a majority of the population have ratified ICERD?

UMNO and PAS MPs have continued to make a ruckus over ICERD in Parliament, going to the extent of creating the darkest day in the 50-year history of the Malaysian Parliament on Monday, when they defied and disregarded the Speaker’s directives and shouted and yelled incessantly to stop the Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department, P. Waytha Moorthy from replying and delivering his speech during the Ministerial winding-up in the debate on the 2019 Budget – the first time in half-a-century history of Malaysian Parliament.

I want to remind miscreant UMNO and PAS MPs of what Voltaire said: “
I disapprove of what you way, but I will defend to the death your right to say it!
”

If we do not accept this Voltarian spirit, then the blot in Parliament on Monday will degenerate to fist-fights and physical attacks on the Speaker, as happened in other Parliaments!

Is this what Malaysians want?

What has intrigued thinking Malaysians is why UMNO and PAS MPs teamed up to harass Waytha over his video which made  scathing criticism against the Barisan Nasional government recorded over 10 years ago.

Watha said his activism ten years ago was widely known globally, and BN and Umno had even approached him in 2013 to address the issues of the ethnic Indian community.

Waytha said the Umno government and the entire Malaysian community were  fully aware of what he did during his five years of exile in the United Kingdom, and yet they made him a deputy minister in 2013.

Waytha was appointed deputy minister in the Prime Minister’s Department after BN won the 2013 general election. He later resigned the next year.

After he was appointed deputy minister, neither the UMNO MPs (some of whom were Cabinet Ministers at the time) and PAS Members of Parliament including Hadi made an issue of the video which Waytha made ten years ago.

Can the UMNO and PAS MPs explain such political hypocrisy?

(Media Statement by DAP MP for Iskandar Puteri Lim Kit Siang in Parliament on Thursday November 22, 2018)

                This entry was posted on Thursday, 22 November 2018, 10:25 am and is filed under
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No Malaysian would want Malaysia to ratify ICERD at the price of another May 13  racial riot

The Pakatan Harapan government to build a New Malaysia suffered a setback yesterday when the Prime Minister’s Office announced that the government will not ratify the International Covenant Against All Forms of Racial Discrimination (ICERD) and that it will continue to defend the Federal Constitution.

No Malaysian would want Malaysia to ratify the ICERD at the price of another May 13 racial riot in the country, as there is no doubt that there are irresponsible elements which are seeking to incite and escalate racial and religious distrust, animosity and hatred to engender the conditions to replicate another May 13 racial riot in Malaysia.

Is ICERD against the Malaysian Constitution, anti-Malay, anti-Islam and anti-Malay Rulers?

There is no need to incite and escalate racial and religious doubts, animosity and hatred to create another May 13 racial riot, for I have no doubt that if ICERD is indeed anti-Malaysian Constitution, anti-Malay, anti-Islam and anti-Malay Sultans, the overwhelming majority of Malaysians, regardless of race or religiion would not want Malaysia to ratify ICERD.

I am still waiting for answer as whether 99 per cent of the 1.9 billion Muslims in the world, who live in countries which have ratified ICERD, are not genuine Muslims?

Why is Malaysia cutting itself off from the overwhelming majority of 57-nation Organisation of Islamic Conference (OIC) as only Malaysia and Brunei are the only two of the 57 countries which have not ratified the ICERD?

There are 38 countries with the monarchical system, out of which 36 countries have ratified the ICERD including the United Kingdom in 1969, Norway 1970, Sweden 1971, Denmark 1971, Netherlands 1971, Jordan 1974, Belgium 1975, Japan in 1995, and Saudi Arabia 1997.

There are absolutely no indications that the ratification of ICERD by these 36 countries have undermined the monarchical system as to lead to their abolition.

The ICERD issue is a warning to all Malaysians that their “New Malaysia” vision which was the cause of the historic May 9, 2018 decision which saw a peaceful and democratic transition of power for the first in six decades, and gave hope to the world that democracy as a system of government to achieve freedom, justice and good governance for  the people in the world, can still fail if we allow political opportunists and desperadoes to exploit the toxic politics of lies, hatred, race and religion to the extent of unleashing racial and religious conflicts.

(Speech by DAP MP for Iskandar Puteri Lim Kit Siang at the Malaysian Association of Jiansu Annual Gala Dinner in Suchou, China on Saturday, November 24, 2018 at 8 pm)

                This entry was posted on Sunday, 25 November 2018, 8:33 am and is filed under
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Malaysia needs an educational overhaul as an education system which could produce a global kleptocracy in Malaysia cannot be a good and wholesome one

Malaysia needs an educational overhaul as an education system which could produce a global kleptocracy in Malaysia cannot be a good and wholesome one.

The last few days provided another example of why there is something basically wrong with the Malaysian education system which could produce generations of unthinking Malaysians who could easily fall victim to the toxic politics of lies, fake news, hate, race and religion.

However, the historic day of May 9, 2018, is a positive sign that all is not lost for Malaysia, when Malaysians regardless of race, religion or region could unite to  Save Malaysia and stop Malaysia from continuing in the trajectory towards a rogue democracy, global kleptocracy, kakistocracy and a failed state.

May 9, 2018 provided Malaysians with the opportunity to re-set nation-building policies in six decades to establish a New Malaysia.

A New Malaysian has not been born, and this  mission cannot be accomplished in a hundred days or six months. It will need a decade or two.

This means that Malaysians who do not want to go back to the  past of a rogue democracy, kakistocracy and a global kleptocracy must have a Big Picture and long-term perspective to have the  perseverance, stamina and determination not only to  take the country towards a New Malaysia, but able to convince more and more  Malaysians to take ownership of the New Malaysia agenda.

We must not allow those who wish to set the clock of Malaysian nation-building back to the past to succeed, as I believe that Malaysia can be a world top-class nation if we can leverage on the best qualities from the diverse races, languages, religions, customs and civilisations which meet in confluence in Malaysia.

One of our most pressing challenges is to show the world that we can transform ourselves from a global kleptocracy into a leading nation of integrity and not a country  where the Prime Minister is the top kleptocrat, not only in the nation but in the world,

We must have an educational system which can prevent Malaysia from becoming a kleptocracy, and  enable Malaysia to compete with the rest of the world by ensuring an educational system which promotes high quality of excellence and achievement in all fields of human endeavour.

(Speech by DAP MP for Iskandar Puteri Lim Kit Siang on “The Malaysian Experience of Democratic Transition” at City University, Hong Kong on Sunday, 26th November 2018 at 2 pm)

                This entry was posted on Monday, 26 November 2018, 5:29 pm and is filed under
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Najib should be referred to the Parliamentary Committee of Privileges for tampering with the Auditor-General’s 1MDB audit report before it was presented to the last Parliament

Former Prime Minister and Member of Parliament for Pekan, Datuk Seri Najib Razak should be referred to the Parliamentary Committee of Privileges for tampering with  the Auditor-General’s 1MDB audit report before it was presented to the last Parliament.

The Auditor-General Madinah Mohamad  has confirmed that the then prime minister Najib Abdul Razak summoned her predecessor Ambrin Buang on Feb 22, 2016, and instructed certain parts of the report to be expunged.

She added that Najib’s private secretary Shukry Mohd Salleh had also instructed the mentions of businessperson Low Taek Jho, a central figure in the 1MDB scandal, to be removed.

This is a most shocking disclosure and  a total abuse of power which attacks the very basis of parliamentary integrity and which must viewed most seriously by all Malaysians, in particular Members of Parliament.

Even Utusan Malaysia, until a few days ago the unthinking mouthpiece of UMNO and Najib, have said that Najib and civil servant who purported to have conspired with him are traitors if allegations they tampered with the 1MDB audit report are true.

Utusan said: “If this really happened, this is an utmost betrayal of the trust given by the people to Najib and other civil servants.”

If it is established that Najib had tampered with the former Auditor-General’s audit report on 1MDB, then it is up to the Committee of Privileges to recommend to Parliament what punitive measure should be meted out to Najib.

(Speech by DAP MP for Iskandar Puteri Lim Kit Siang on “Diaspora Malaysians and Nation-Building” at Hong Kong University, Hong Kong on Sunday, 26th November 2018 at 4 pm)

                This entry was posted on Monday, 26 November 2018, 8:22 am and is filed under
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Vision of New Malaysia must continue to inspire and unite Malaysians despite the multitude of problems haunting and hounding the country after six decades of UMNO/BN rule

The country seems to be overwhelmed by a multitude of problems which raise the question whether the vision of a New Malaysia has any relevance to the future of Malaysia.

But I think otherwise, as I believe that the vision of a New Malaysia which resulted in the historic decision of May 9, 2018 must continue to inspire and unite Malaysians despite the multitude of problems haunting and even hounding the country after six decades of UMNO/BN rule.

In the past week,  problems piled up one after another, some of which   seemed to   concern  only one particular  community or religious group but actually concern  all Malaysians and all religious groups, including the following:

— Ratification of ICERD (International Covenant for the Elimination of All Forms of Racial Discrimination) which has been distorted to mean a grave threat and assault on the  rights and interests of the Malays, Islam and the Malay Rulers.

This is untrue as  179 countries, which include 99% of the world’s 1.9 billion Muslims, have ratified ICERD – including 55 of the 57 countries in the Organisation of Islamic Countries (OIC). In the past half a century, no community or religion had suffered as a result of such ratification.

Apart from Malaysia and Brunei, 36 of the 38 countries with monarchical systems have ratified ICERD, and none of these 36  countries have abolished the monarchical system as a result of such ratification, most notably the United Kingdom, Thailand, Saudi Arabia, Jordan, Japan, Netherlands, Norway, Denmark and Sweden.

If ICERD represents a grave assault on the rights and interests of the Malays, Islam and the Malay Rulers, I myself  will not support ICERD  and all Malaysians regardless of race, religion or region will oppose it.

Why can’t the practitioners of toxic politics of lies, hate, fear, race and religion stop  inciting  raw emotions and primordial fears, even issuing threats of Malays running amok  and  “rindu May 13”,  and instead, engage in a rational national debate to show proof that ICERD is a grave threat and assault on the rights and interests of the Malays, Islam and the Malay Rules?

— The Seafield Temple riots – which are criminal acts and not a racial or religious conflict which concern not just Malaysian  Indians or Hindus but all Malaysians regardless of  race and religion as there can be no New Malaysia without the restoration of  the Rule of Law and the enjoyment of  Freedom of Religion as guaranteed  in the Malaysian Constitution.

— The long-running  daily  saga and disaster  of the 1MDB scandal,  as represented by a few of the following headlines which had dominated the  news in the past six days:

· IPIC files lawsuit against Goldman Sachs, others over 1MDB case

· Yes, Jho Low may have cheated us, says Najib

· Ex-Goldman CEO had met Jho Low in 2012 – report

· Utusan: 1MDB audit report amended on Najib’s order

· Edge boss: Najib kicked me out when told about Jho Low’s scam

· Auditor-general: Najib ordered tampering of 1MDB audit

· Utusan: Najib, ‘civil servants’ traitors if 1MDB audit tampering claims true

· Tampering of 1MDB audit report? Ask Najib, says Zahid

· Opposition is like an ‘ostrich’ when it comes to 1MDB – Lim

All  these issues  haunting and hounding Malaysians have one common factor  –  they are a test of the vision of the  New Malaysia which is struggling to be born after the historic May 9, 2018,  which gave Malaysians an opportunity to save the country and re-set nation-building policies after six decades!

Malaysians want a New Malaysia which is united, democratic, just, progressive and properous, a world top class nation  which is capable of levaraging on the best of the diverse races, languages, cultures and civilisations that meet in confluence in Malaysia so as to gain international  respect and admiration as a successful nation which leads the world in integrity, and not scorned as a global kleptocracy hurtling towards a failed state future.

Let all Malaysians turn the multiple  crisis in nation building presently haunting and hounding the country  into opportunities to build a New Malaysia where all Malaysians, regardless of race, religion, politics or region can feel proud as Malaysians and which is respected and admired by the world as a successful world top-class nation.

(Media Statement  by DAP MP for Iskandar Puteri Lim Kit Siang in Parliament on Wednesday 28th November 2018)

                This entry was posted on Wednesday, 28 November 2018, 1:35 pm and is filed under
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Najib condemned himself on the 1MDB kleptocracy by his thunderous silence on Tong Kooi Ong’s shocking account of his encounter with Najib on 1MDB and Jho Low in 2015

The former Prime Minister, Datuk Seri Najib Razak has become Malaysia’s most prolific FaceBook user.

In the last seven days, he had 35 FaceBook postings, averaging five a day – ranging from three to seven postings a day.

But he condemned himself on the 1MDB kleptocracy by his thunderous silence on Edge Media Group chairperson Datuk Tong Kooi Ong’s revelations five days ago rubbishing Najib’s claims of ignorance over the 1MDB scandal.

Tong claimed that in 2015, he had personally informed Najib of evidence that fugitive financier Low Taek Jho was running a scam with 1MDB, only to be kicked out of the then-premier’s home.

Tong said the meeting with Najib on the night of March 6, 2015, was arranged by an Umno MP.

“I met Najib in the living room. It was just us.

“He started by telling me The Edge was wrong, and that the problems of 1MDB were its business model of carrying too much debt. There was no theft of money.

“I told him otherwise. I shared with him information that I believed was proof that it was all a scam, with Low at the centre of it. I explained how the accounts were made up to report a profit, and why I believed the cash was all gone.

“After about half an hour, he relented and told me he would shut down 1MDB. He didn’t say what he was going to do about the debts.

“I then proceeded to tell Najib that Jho Low must be held accountable and be prosecuted. This upset him. He immediately stood up, walked to the door and asked me to leave.

“I was taken aback that he was so sensitive about Low.”

Tong had spoken out in response to  Najib’s claim that Low may have cheated 1MDB, but maintained that he was ignorant of any wrongdoings that may have transpired at the time.

In his silence, Najib had indirectly confirmed Tong’s revelations. In fact, Najib now claims that he never said he was cheated by Jho Low.

Najib has still to come clean to a question I had posed about his various meetings with Jho Low, especially the number of secret rendezvous he had with Jho Low outside Malaysia after the 13th General Election in 2013.

During my visit to New Zealand in September, I had also posed the question whether out of the two, Najib and Jho Low, who will be the first to betray the other in the 1MDB “worst case of kleptocracy”!

Najib silence to Tong’s revelations cannot be more  revealing about Najib’s legacy as the global kleptocrat instead of being Prime Minister of Malaysia.

Let us give Najib a final chance to defend himself to Tong’s charges. Tong said that the Edge’s front-page allegation in 2015 that Jho Low stole US$1.83 billion, supported by a money trail showing cash transfers into bank accounts, spooked Najib into suspending the Edge. Tong and The Edge publisher Datuk Ho Kay Tat were investigated by the police for economic sabotage and Tong was barred from leaving the country.

As Tong said:“
Najib knew what Jho Low did. We provided the evidence and he shut us down to shut us up.”

Let us hear from Najib.

(Media Statement by DAP MP for Iskandar Puteri Lim Kit Siang in Parliament on Thursday 29th November 2019)

                This entry was posted on Thursday, 29 November 2018, 8:12 am and is filed under
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Najib tied himself in knots rebutting Tong’s revelations that he had personally informed Najib and Jho Low as far back as 6th March 2015

Former Prime Minister, Datuk Seri Najib Razak is capable of swift reaction.

After a thunderous silence for five days, he swung into action and came out with a response  within  five hours of my statement yesterday  asking why the most prolific Malaysian FaceBook user with up to seven postings a day had not responded to Tong Kooi Ong’s revelation five days ago about his meeting with Najib in March 2015 to tell him about the 1MDB scandal and fugitive financier Jho Low, and that  such silence condemned him on the 1MDB kleptocracy scandal.

Najib tied himself in knots in his rebuttal to Tong’s revelation that he (Tong) had personally informed Najib about  the 1MDB scandal and the role of financial fugitive Jho Low when he met Najib at the latter’s Jalan Duta house dining room  at the request of the UMNO MP for Baling, Datuk Abdul Azeez Abdul Rahim on March 6, 2015 at 10.45 pm.

Tong said and this is not contradicted by Najib yesterday:

“He (Najib) started by telling me The Edge was wrong, and that the problems of 1MDB were its business model of carrying too much debt. There was no theft of money.

“I told him otherwise. I shared with him information that I believed was proof that it was all a scam, with Low at the centre of it. I explained how the accounts were made up to report a profit, and why I believed the cash was all gone.

“After about half an hour, he relented and told me he would shut down 1MDB. He didn’t say what he was going to do about the debts.

“I then proceeded to tell Najib that Jho Low must be held accountable and be prosecuted. This upset him. He immediately stood up, walked to the door and asked me to leave.

“I was taken aback that he was so sensitive about Low.”

What Najib rebutted in his Facebook posting was:

“All the documents shown by Tong as ‘proof’ at the time was based on emails from (Saudi Arabia-based oil and gas company) PetroSaudi that had been stolen by a disgruntled employee, who later blackmailed his friend and employers for years.

“They had also been claims the documents had been amended. The employee was later convicted for blackmail in Thailand.”

Najib was clearly referring to documents leaked by former PetroSaudi International executive Xavier Justo relating to the company’s joint venture with 1MDB.

Justo, who  was sentenced in 2015 to three years’ imprisonment for attempting to blackmail and extort PetroSaudi but was released after 18 months after being granted  by Thailand’s King Maha Vajiralongkorn, is still fighting after his 2016 release as he wanted those who had put him in prison and threatened his wife to cover their crimes to face justice.

In any event, there was no evidence that Justo’s information were not true or accurate.

Najib could not give a weaker or more lame excuse when he  conceded that “Yes, today Tong may be right, but but in March 2015, it was his words and (it was) based on the claims by a disgruntled staff”, as he forgets that he was the Prime Minister whose duty was to verify  Tong’s proofs that the 1MDB scandal was a scam and that  action should be taken against Jho Low as a matermind of 1MDB.

But in retrospect, it was clearly impossible for Najib to take any action against Jho Low, as although the whole 1MDB scam was conceived by  Jho Low, Najib was the other mastermind of the global scam or the 1MDB global kleptocracy would not be possible, and therefore it was asking for the impossible for any remedial action by  Najib,  a global kleptocrat,  resulting in Malaysia degenerating into  a global kleptocracy.

When Tong met Najib on March 6, it was a week after London’s Sunday Times and Sarawak Report completed an in-depth investigation into the 1MDB scandal, with London’s Sunday Times giving its exclusive report the headline “Harrow playboy linked to troubled Malaysian fund” while Sarawak Report carried the unforgettable headline “Heist of the Century – How Jho Loh used PetroSaudi as a ‘front’ to siphon Billions outt of 1MDB!”.

Will Najib’s next FaceBook posting be: “Yes, today London’s Sunday Times and Sarawak Report may be right, but….”?

In fact, three weeks earlier, on Feb. 8, 2015, New York Times carried a long expose of Jho Low  by its two correspondents, Louise Story and Stephanie Saul,  entitled “ Jho Low, Well Connected in Malaysia, Has an Appetite for New York” which among other thing, said:

“That point was underscored in the State Department’s 2010 human rights report, which said, ‘Officials (Malaysia) often engaged in corrupt practices with impunity’ and noted ‘a broadly held perception of widespread corruption and cronyism within the governing coalition and in government institutions.’

“There have been no proven corruption allegations against Mr. Najib. However, he has been dogged by questions, seized upon by his political opponents, stemming from a long-running bribery inquiry in France involving submarines he commissioned from a French company while he was defense minister….

“Mr. Najib, who earns an annual salary of about $100,000 as prime minister, has been battered by news media reports of his wife’s lavish spending. A notable episode involved the Birkin bags: A series of photos that went viral on social media in Malaysia showed Ms. Rosmah holding at least nine of the purses. They typically cost between $9,000 and $150,000 apiece.”

Will Najib now pen in his FaceBook that the New York Times report of Feb. 8, 2015 and the Feb. 28 reports of  London Sunday Times and Sarawak Report were
 “Yes, today they  may be right”?

I was in Labis for a Chinese New Year kopitiam ceramah in the evening of  March 1, 2015 when the London Sunday Times and Sarawak Report published their shocking exposes, and I immediately shot off the following media response at 5 pm the same day:

“I have just seen the Sarawak Report website claiming that together with London’s Sunday Times newspaper, it has completed an in-depth investigation into the trail of the missing billions at the heart of Malaysia’s 1MDB (One Malaysia Development Berhad) financial scandal.

“It claimed to have obtained access to thousands of documents and emails relating to transactions by 1MDB, including its initial joint venture with the little known oil company PetroSaudi International from 2009.

“It alleged that the documents establish that, in spite of copious official denials, the entire joint venture project was conceived, managed and driven through by the Prime Minister’s associate and family friend the party-loving billionaire tycoon, Jho Low and that the documents also prove that the USD$700 million so-called ‘loan’ that was supposedly repaid to PetroSaudi as part of the joint venture agreement, was actually a ‘front’ to channel the money to a company controlled by Jho Low.

“It had previously been reported that all computers and servers at 1MDB had been called in and wiped clean just before the end of last year, and if it it is true that the combined investigation team of Sarawak Report and London Sunday Times have obtained access to ‘thousands of documents and emails’ relating to transactions by 1MDB, then we have the makings of the biggest financial scandal in the nation’s history.

“The RM42 billion 1MDB scandal is setting a record as the greatest of all the financial scandals in the country, eclipsing even the worst and biggest of Mahathir’s financial scandals.

“Irony of ironies, even former Prime Minister Tun Dr. Mahathir Mohamad has publicly taken a stand against Najib’s RM42 billion 1MDB scandal, declaring that he could not accept the explanations that have been offered so far about the 1MDB scandal.

“Najib cannot continue to evade the issue and I call on him to set up a Royal Commission of Inquiry into the RM42 billion 1MDB scandal, and in particular at the Sarawak Report that it has obtained access to thousands of documents and email relating to the transactions of 1MDB.

“If the RM42 billion 1MDB scandal is not handled in a responsible and satisfactory manner, we may have the the first resignation or removal of a Prime Minister in Malaysia because of a financial scandal.

“The Cabinet, at its meeting of Wednesday, should have the 1MDB scandal as its sole agenda and a full and proper accounting should be made by the Cabinet as all Ministers cannot also continue to feign ignorance or irresponsibility for the 1MDB scandal.”

If Najib or the Cabinet had heeded my advice on March 1, 2015, Malaysia would not have suffered the infamy, ignominy and iniquity of a global kleptocracy.

(Media Statement by DAP MP for Iskandar Puteri Lim Kit Siang in Parliament on Friday, 30th November 2018)

                This entry was posted on Friday, 30 November 2018, 3:19 pm and is filed under
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Wee Ka Siong should lead the entire MCA leadership to make  two abject apologies  to all Malaysians at MCA General Assembly tomorrow  – firstly,  for aiding and abetting Najib in making Malaysia a global kleptocracy and secondly, for the extremist and dangerous  MCA politics of lies and hate as exhibited in today’s MCA Youth Assembly

The new MCA President, Datuk Wee Ka Siong should lead the entire MCA leadership to make  two abject apologies  to all Malaysians at the  MCA General Assembly tomorrow  – firstly,  for aiding and abetting  former Prime Minister, Datuk Seri Najib Razak  in making Malaysia a global kleptocracy and secondly, for the extremist and dangerous MCA politics of lies and hate as exhibited in today’s MCA Youth Assembly.

When I was at the City University in Hong Kong last week, a Malaysian told me that for several years before May 9 this year, he was ashamed to identify himself as a Malaysian because of the international 1MDB corruption and money-laundering scandal which caused Malaysia to be regarded worldwide as a global kleptocracy.

This was not an isolated case, as the shame and infamy of the 1MDB scandal caused many Malaysians before the 14th General Election to avoid disclosing that they are Malaysians when they were overseas, telling white lies that they were from Singapore, Indonesia or Thailand.

Now Malaysians have been liberated from such shame and infamy as a result of the historic decision on May 9, 2018, when Malaysians regardless of race or religion united to carry out a peaceful and democratic transition of power, and gave hope not only to Malaysians but the world about democracy as a form of government to bring about change for the better and progress. This is because in the past decade, democracy as a form of government suffered a confidence crisis in the whole world.

What we need to do now is to perform a second world feat – to transform Malaysia from a global kleptocracy into a leading nation of integrity in the international community of nations.

We must never forget about Malaysia’s shame and infamy when we were regarded by the world as a global kleptocracy, and we must never forget the monstrous corruption and crime of the 1MDB scandal.

Equally important, we must never forget Najib  and Jho Low, the masterminds of the 1MDB scandal, and all the political parties in Barisan Nasional, especially UMNO, MCA, MIC, Gerakan, their leaders, Ministers, Members of Parliament, Chief Ministers, State Ministers or  Executive Councillors and  State Assembly representatives for aiding and abetting Najib in making Malaysia a global kleptocracy in the past few years.

This is the first matter Wee Ka Siong should lead the entire MCA leadership to make an abject apology   to all Malaysians at MCA General Assembly tomorrow, for the MCA had failed Malaysia and Malaysians in aiding and abetting Najib in making Malaysia a global kleptocracy.  Even more shocking, Wee Ka Siong was a Minister in Najib’s Cabinet!

The second matter which Wee Ka Siong should lead the entire MCA leadership to make an abject apology is for the extremist and dangerous  MCA politics of lies and hate as exhibited in today’s MCA Youth Assembly.

Prominently displayed on the stage screen of the MCA Youth Assembly  this morning was the picture of DAP Secretary-General and Finance Minister Lim Guan Eng, with the words “I am not a Chinese”.

How low can MCA go in its attempt to regain political support? MCA leaders are being utterly irresponsible in inciting hatred among the people against DAP leaders.

UMNO and PAS leaders incite Malays with the lies and falsehoods that DAP is anti-Malay and anti-Islam, and the MCA is joining UMNO and PAS in this reckless, irresponsible and dangerous game of spreading lies and falsehoods that DAP is anti-Chinese.

DAP is never anti-Chinese, anti-Malay, anti-Indian, anti-Kadazan or anti-Dayak. What distinguishes us from MCA is that we are pro-Malaysia.

DAP leaders never deny our ethnicity, but whether we are Chinese, Malays, Indians, Kadazans or Ibans, we are even more important Malaysians, which give qualifies us  to champion the rights and welfare of all Malaysians, regardless of race or religion.

As far as I know, Lim Guan Eng is the only political leader who have crossed ethnic lines to sacrifice his political future and  position as Member of Parliament, and even went to jail, in the defence of honour and dignity of an underaged Malay girl, when he was a MP for Kota Melaka in the nineties.

Had any UMNO political leader ever make such sacrifices  for another Malay or had any MCA leader done that for another Chinese, let alone a Malaysian of another race?

MCA claims to champion the Chinese – but why have they been rejected so soundly and decisively in the 14th General Election by the Chinese themselves, reduced from a 7/11 party into a mosquito party which  could only win one seat in Parliament, –  and thanks to Malay voters and not Chinese voters?

MCA claims to champion the Chinese and UMNO claims to champion the bumiputeras – but all they champion are the cronies of MCA and UMNO leaders especially the UMNOputras!

Since our formation 53 years ago, DAP had been consistent as  a political party for all Malaysians, and not for any one race.

Malaysians are made up of different ethnicities but we must be  united as one Malaysian people to create a New Malaysia which is united, democratic, clean, just, progressive and prosperous.

(Speech by DAP MP for Iskandar Puteri Lim Kit Siang at opening of the DAP Activities Centre in Ayer Keroh, Malacca on Saturday, 1st Dec 2018 at 1 pm)

                This entry was posted on Saturday, 1 December 2018, 7:33 pm and is filed under
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Is the MCA AGM today being held behind closed-doors to protect Wee Ka Siong and the MCA leadership from attacks from MCA delegates for aiding and abetting Najib in the 1MDB scandal as well as  for the new  extremist and dangerous  MCA politics of lies and hate

I had said at the opening on the DAP Ayer Keroh Activities Centre in Malacca yesterday that the new MCA President, Datuk Wee Ka Siong should lead the entire MCA leadership to make  two abject apologies  to all Malaysians at the  MCA General Assembly today – firstly,  for aiding and abetting  former Prime Minister, Datuk Seri Najib Razak  in the 1MDB corruption and money-laundering scandal and making Malaysia a global kleptocracy and secondly, for the new extremist and dangerous MCA politics of lies and hate as exhibited in yesterday’s MCA Youth Assembly.

Would  Wee Ka Siong and tnhe MCA leaders have the qualities of wisdom, humility and patriotism to make this double apology at the MCA General Assembly today?

It has been reported that the MCA annual general assembly today  will be a closed-door event for the first time and only the opening ceremony is for media coverage.

Is the MCA AGM today being held behind closed-doors to protect Wee Ka Siong and the MCA leadership from attacks from MCA delegates for aiding and abetting Najib in the 1MDB scandal as well as for the new extremist and dangerous  MCA politics of lies and hate?

The MCA delegates should demand that the former and present MCA Presidents, Datuk Seri Liow Tiong Lai and Datuk Wee Ka Siong, explain why as Ministers in the Najib Cabiner, they allowed the 1MDB scandal to escalate, even after the United States Department of Justice (DOJ) had filed its largest kleptocratic litigation to forfeit US$1.7 billion of 1MDB-linked assets out of some US$5.4 billion money-laundered through the US financial system and what they knew about the special relationship between the two 1MDB masterminds – Najib and fugitive financier Jho Low.

The recent unsealing of US DOJ documents in both 1MDB-linked criminal and civil proceedings in the US courts have made astonishing revelations about the international ramifications of the 1MDB scandal, how hundreds of millions of ringgit  from the 1MDB scam had been deployed not only to influence DOJ’s investigation into the 1MDB scandal, but even to secure  the US President, Donald Trump, to drop the US DOJ kleptocratic proceedings on 1MDB  altogether.

Several individuals, including  a former DOJ staff, George Higginbotham, had been bribed to lobby high-level government officials on the US DOJ probe on the 1MDB scandal.

George Higginbotham had pleaded guilty to aiding the “principal architect” behind the 1MDB scheme, by conspiring to deceive US banks of the source and purpose of tens of millions of dollars sent from overseas to finance a lobbying campaign on behalf of foreign interests.

According to the filings made with the District of Columbia District Court, four seizures from several accounts totaling US$73 million  were made from the period between January to July 2018.

The court documents referred to meetings of the conspirators with Jho Low  in Thailand and Macau.

What is most intriguing from the court documents  is the revelation that in August 2017,  Jho Low and the conspirators even prepared “talking points” for Najib’s meeting with US President Donald Trump which took place in early September 2017.

Najib was referred to as “MALAYSIAN OFFICIAL NO.1 (MO1)” while Trump was referred to as “US GOVERNMENT OFFICIAL NO.1”.

Several of Najib’s “talking points” prepared for his meeting with Trump focused specifically on the 1MDB investigations to convey the message  that US involvement in the investigation was unnecessary; that the 1MDB concerned only Saudi Arabia, Abu Dhabi and Malaysia; that the Malaysian Attorney-General had publicly announced that no American investor had  been harmed by any 1MDB transaction and that the involvement of U.S. prosecutors had caused unnecessary US-Malaysia  tension and could cause a negative reaction among Malaysians.

This is treason at its starkest, and the delegates at the MCA General Assembly must unreservedly condemn such treasonous activities, even if the new MCA President and MCA leadership are  prepared to continue to  play footsie with Najib and UMNO leaders, and now even with  the PAS leadership under Datuk Seri Abdul Hadi Awang.

It is time for Najib to make a full disclosure of all his meetings with Jho Low before and after  the 13th General Elections, where, when and what transpired at each meeting, and whether he was a party to or knew that Jho Low was deploying hundreds of millions of ringgit of 1MDB monies to lobby and even bribe US officials to drop the US DOJ litigation on 1MDB.

Would the MCA General Assembly dare to pass such  a resolution calling on Najib to do this?

The MCA General Assembly should heed the advice of the Deputy Yang di Pertuan Agong, Sultan Nazrin Muizzuddin Shah, who reminded the people and their leaders not to mastermind provocations that could ignite hate and hostility among people of various races and religions.

The MCA Youth Assembly was guilty of such provocation yesterday.

Furthermore, the  MCA Deputy President Mah Hang Soon was guilty of such “provocation” to ignite hate when he alleged  at the MCA Youth Assembly yesterday that that I had “constantly ingratiated” myself with the prime minister to compromise the rights of the Chinese community while UMNO leaders are making the opposite accusation – that I am the real power behind the Pakatan Harapan government and that Tun Dr. Mahathir Mohamad, Datuk Seri  Anwar Ibrahim, Datuk Seri Dr. Wan Azizah Wan Ibrahim and Mohamad Sabu are  just my stooges.

Sultan Nazrin has advised Malaysians to stop the politics of lies and hatred, and this include proceedings at closed-door meetings like the closed-door MCA General Assembly!

Will the MCA General Assembly set a good example today?

(Media Statement by DAP MP for Iskandar Puteri Lim Kit Siang in Kuala Lumpur on Sunday, 2nd December 2019)

                This entry was posted on Sunday, 2 December 2018, 10:49 am and is filed under
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Why Najib has made five FaceBook postings but  not a single one on the  US DOJ revelations that hundreds of millions of ringgit of embezzled 1MDB funds had been used to lobby and bribe US officials to drop the US DOJ’s largest kleptocratic litigation on 1MDB?

Since the United States Department of Justice (DOJ) revelations in the US Court on Nov. 30 that hundreds of millions of ringgit of embezzled 1MDB funds had been used to lobby and bribe US officials to drop the US DOJ’s largest kleptocratic litigation on 1MDB, former Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak had come out with at least five FaceBook postings, but not a single one on the  US DOJ bombshell on the latest 1MDB  developments.

Can Najib explain why?

Malaysians are entitled to know what Najib has to say with regard to the US DOJ revelations in the US courts that hundreds of millions of ringgit  from the 1MDB scam had been deployed not only to influence DOJ’s investigation into the 1MDB scandal, but even to secure  the US President, Donald Trump, to drop the US DOJ kleptocratic proceedings on 1MDB  altogether.

Several individuals, including  a former DOJ staff, George Higginbotham, had been bribed to lobby high-level government officials on the US DOJ probe on the 1MDB scandal.

George Higginbotham had pleaded guilty to aiding the “principal architect” behind the 1MDB scheme, by conspiring to deceive US banks of the source and purpose of tens of millions of US dollars sent from overseas to finance a lobbying campaign on behalf of foreign interests.

According to the Nov. 30 proceedings  in the District of Columbia District Court, four seizures from several accounts totalling US$73 million  were made from the period between January to July 2018.

The court proceedings also  referred to meetings of the conspirators with Jho Low  in Thailand and Macau.

What is particularly interesting is Paragraph 30 of the “Verified Complaint for Forfeiture In Rem” for the four seizures totalling US$73 million, where US DOJ made the revelation that in August 2017,  Jho Low and the conspirators even prepared “talking points” for Najib’s meeting with US President Donald Trump which took place in early September 2017.

Najib was referred to as “MALAYSIAN OFFICIAL NO.1 (MO1)” while Trump was referred to as “US GOVERNMENT OFFICIAL NO.1”.

Several of Najib’s “talking points” prepared for Najib’s  meeting with Trump focused specifically on the 1MDB investigations to convey the following messages:

· that US involvement in the investigation was unnecessary;

· that the 1MDB concerned only Saudi Arabia, Abu Dhabi and Malaysia;

· that the Malaysian Attorney-General had publicly announced that no American investor had  been harmed by any 1MDB transaction; and

· that the involvement of U.S. prosecutors had caused unnecessary US-Malaysia  tension and could cause a negative reaction among Malaysians.

This is treason at its starkest, and Najib should inform Malaysians whether  any of these “talking points” had been used by him when he met President Trump in the White House in September 2017, whether he was a party to or knew that Jho Low was deploying hundreds of millions of ringgit of  embezzled 1MDB monies to lobby and even bribe US officials to drop the US DOJ litigation on 1MDB.

It is also  time for Najib to make a full disclosure of all his meetings with Jho Low before and after  the 13th General Elections, where, when, who participated in these meetings and what transpired at each meeting.

(Media Statement by DAP MP for Iskandar Puteri Lim Kit Siang in Paliament on Monday, 3rd  December 2019)

                This entry was posted on Monday, 3 December 2018, 11:50 am and is filed under
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Most mortifying mistake of MCA General Assembly was not the resolution that BN dissolves, but its craven and  cowardly failure to repudiate Najib for the 1MDB scandal which turned Malaysia into a global kleptocracy

It must be the most humiliating experience of the MCA in its 69-year history – worse than the 2103 General Election when it became a 7/11 politcal party, or the 2018 general election, when it degenerated into a mosquito party winning only one parliamentary seat – and as UMNO President Datuk Zahid Hamidi caustically reminded yesterday, a victory  based on support of Malay voters!

In the last two days, whatever is left of MCA pride and dignity were dragged over the coals by UMNO leaders, with Zahid reminding MCA to know its place; UMNO Deputy President Datuk Seri Mohamad Hasan urging MCA to leave Barisan Nasional (BN) immediately, remarking that he would be  “very thankful” if MCA quits BN as “We cannot afford to have a burdensome friend when we are already having a tough time, politically” while even the UMNO-owned Malay daily Utusan Malaysia also joined in the fray, lashing out at MCA for overstepping its authority,  branding the party a “weakling” and insignificant member of the former ruling coalition.

But the most  mortifying mistake of last Sunday’s MCA General Assembly was not the resolution that BN dissolves, but its craven and  cowardly failure to repudiate former Prime Minister Datuk Seri  Najib Razak  for the monstrous 1MDB corruption and money-laundering  scandal which turned Malaysia into a global kleptocracy.

I had tried to salvage what was left of the dignity of MCA with a public reminder that the new MCA President, Datuk Seri Wee Ka Siong, should lead the entire MCA leadership to apologise to all Malaysians at the MCA General Assembly for the MCA’s past crimes of aiding and abetting Najib in the 1MDB scandal and making Malaysia a global kleptocracy in the eyes of the world.

I had publicly suggested that the  MCA delegates should demand that the former and present MCA Presidents, Datuk Seri Liow Tiong Lai and Wee Ka Siong, explain why as Ministers in the Najib Cabinet, they had  allowed the 1MDB scandal to escalate, even after the United States Department of Justice (DOJ) had filed its largest kleptocratic litigation to forfeit US$1.7 billion of 1MDB-linked assets out of some US$5.4 billion money-laundered through the US financial system and what they knew about the special relationship between the two 1MDB masterminds – Najib and fugitive financier Jho Low.

Unfortunately, no MCA delegate was public-spirited enough to redeem the party’s dignity  or the speak up for the nation by condemning Najib for the 1MDB scandal as well as the MCA leadership for their role in aiding and abetting a scandal which turned Malaysia into a global kleptocracy.

MCA can recover from the attacks of UMNO leaders, however legitimate and justified, but it can never recover from its craven and cowardly failure to repudiate Najib for the monstrous 1MDB scandal which brought  to Malaysia to the international infamy, ignominy and iniquity of a global kleptocracy.

(Media Statement by DAP MP for Iskandar Puteri Lim Kit Siang in Parliament on Monday, 4th December 2018)

                This entry was posted on Tuesday, 4 December 2018, 4:34 pm and is filed under
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What has happened to Hishamuddin’s self-appointed role and offer to bring back Jho Low back to Malaysia to “face justice”?

Yesterday, 1MDB scandal financier fugitive Jho Low was again charged in absentia in Malaysia with seven charges involving the 1MDB scandal, five charges under the Anti-Money Laundering and  Anti-Terrorism Financing Act 2001 involving him receiving US$1.03 billion (RM4.28 billion) from 1MDB through his company Gold Star Ltd and another two other joint charges with Tan Kim Loong under the same Act involving US$1.2 million (RM5.24 million).

In a statement through his public relations firm in Sydney after the charges in absentia, Jho Loh  claimed innocence  in the 1MDB scandal and alleged that the  charges were made to “create a false sense of security for the political loss that the Mahathir regime has brought upon itself due to its failures on current issues; disregard for the rule of law; and intentional misinterpretation of the constitution”

Jho Low said through the Australian public relations firm:
“They are no more than a continuation of the trial by media and political reprisals by the Mahathir regime.”

His  spokesperson said Low maintained that he is innocent, and would not submit to any jurisdiction where he claimed there is no independent legal process and guilt has been determined by politics, that that Low
“cannot get a fair trial in Malaysia, where the regime has proven numerous times that they have no interest in the rule of law”.

Two questions immediately come to mind:

Firstly, what has happened to former Defence Minister, Datuk Seri  Hishamuddin Hussein’s self-appointed role and offer to bring Jho Low back to Malaysia to “face justice”?

Does this mean that Hishamudin has tried but failed; or he has not tried at all.

Malaysians are entitled to know.

Secondly, Jho Low seemed to be making a political statement on behalf of Najib and the present opposition.  Who are the politicians who have been advising Jho Low, whether directly or indirectly?

For this reason, Malaysians want to know whether Najib, the Ministers in  the Najib Cabinet, and all leaders and MPs of the present Opposition, agree with Jho Loh that in Malaysia, there is “
no independent legal process and guilt has been determined by politics”
;  that Low “
cannot get a fair trial in Malaysia, where the regime has proven numerous times that they have no interest in the rule of law”
, and that Jho Low was wise and right not to return to Malaysia to “
face justice
”?

Jho Low is probably competing for a place in the Guinness Book of Records for an international fugitive from justice, for there are at least 10 countries where he would be wanted either for 1MDB scandal criminal and corruption charges or investigations.

These countries include Malaysia (only after the historic change of government on 9th May 2018), Singapore, Australia, Hong Kong, Indonesia, Luxembourg, Seychelles, the United Kingdom, Switzerland, the United Arab Emirates and the United States of America.

Although Jho Low is prepared to spend hundreds of millions of ringgit of 1MDB monies to lobby and bribe US officials to drop the largest 1MDB kleptocratic litigation which had been filed by the US Department of Justice in July 2016 –   which was recently revealed by the DOJ in the US courts – he had avoided the United States like a plague  since July 2016.

Which country’s legal system would Jho Low have confidence that he would get a fair trial and be prepared to submit himself to its jurisdiction?

(Media Statement by DAP MP for Iskandar Puteri Lim Kit Siang in Parliament on Wednesday, 5th December 2018)

                This entry was posted on Wednesday, 5 December 2018, 11:34 am and is filed under
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Even the new MCA leadership post-Najib-as-PM dare not repudiate the 1MDB kleptocratic scandal

It is pathetic witnessing the MCA leadership spewing garbage and falsehoods – all in an abortive effort to hide the fact that even the  new MCA leadership post-Najb-as-PM  dare not repudiate the infamous 1MDB corruption and money-laundering  scandal which had earned Malaysia the infamy, ignominy and iniquity as a global kleptocracy.

This is what happened yesterday, which was reported by Malaysiakini article entitled “MCA: When will Kit Siang apologise for Dr M ‘most corrupt’ PM claim?”

If MCA leaders could spend less time concocting lies and falsehoods amply illustrated yesterday, and spend more time to  focus on doing things which it should do as representatives of a decent, God-loving and people-loving political party, they would  earn the respect and admiration of Malaysians, even those who do not agree with its policies and statements – and  MCA would not be in such an abject and contemptible position today.

Can  MCA leaders ever learn?

When I was in the Opposition in th past five decades, UMNO and MCA hated my guts but  they respected me.

Can Opposition MCA leaders  get the respect of government leaders, which they never will if they only know how to turn and twist, lie and equivocate – and they don’t even get the respect from their erstwhile masters?

I will like to see MCA rise to be a honest, constructive and good Opposition party. Are the MCA leaders elected over the weekend capable of such MCA transformation?

Like it or not, a litmus test of the  ability of MCA to become a responsible political party will be its ability to cut its umbilical cord with UMNO and stop aiding and abetting Datuk Seri Najib Razak and  UMNO in the 1MDB scandal.

Will MCA leaders ever dare to take a principled and honest stand on the largest kleptocracy in Malaysia – the 1MDB scandal?

(Media Statement by DAP MP for Iskandar Puteri Lim Kit Siang in Parliament on Thursday, 6th December 2018)

                This entry was posted on Thursday, 6 December 2018, 5:41 pm and is filed under
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Malaysia should not ratify ICERD until the majority of the races and religions in Malaysia supports it and understand that it no threat to the various races, religions or the Federal Constitution but a step forward to join the world in promoting human rights

UMNO President, Datuk Seri Zahid Hamidi questioned the faith of Foreign Minister Saifuddin Abdullah for wanting the government to ratify the International Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Racial Discrimination (Icerd).

He is among Malay political leaders who warned that the Malays will run amok if ICERD is ratified by the Malaysian Government.

PAS President, Datuk Seri Hadi Awang said it was compulsory for Muslims to oppose ICERD while the organisers of this Saturday’s anti-ICERD rally said that the rally was not aimed at other races but at the “traitors” of the nation.

The PAS President is the Vice President of the International Union of Muslims Scholars but I do not know whether he had ever used the platform of the IUMS to urge the 55 Muslim countries of the Organisation of Islamic Conference (OIC) who had ratified ICERD to unratify themselves so as to save 99% of the 1.9 billion Muslims in the world who live in the 179 countries which had ratified ICERD would not become traitors of Islam.

Malaysia’s 19 million Muslims only comprise one per cent of the world’s population of 1.9 billion Muslims. In any event, PAS only enjoys minority support from the Malays Muslims in the country as illustrated by the results of the recent 14th General Election.

The proposal for the ratification of ICERD does not stem from a secret agenda to undermine the Malaysian Constitution or the attack the position of the Malays, Islam and the Malaysian Rulers.

I think I cannot do better than to quote from the from my friend, Tamrin Tun Ghafar, who ended his latest blog posting, entitled “ICERD  ATAU  ICURI?”, thus:

“19.  Perbezaan begitu ketara sekali apabila Kerajaan PH yang dipimpin oleh Tun Dr. Mahathir selaku Perdana Menteri tidak teragak – agak membenarkan rakyat berhimpun pada 08/12/18 dengan syarat mereka mesti menghormati Perlembagaan dan undang – undang.

“20. Tidakkah Zahid selaku Presiden UMNO dan Pengerusi BN yang pernah melakukan apa saja yang boleh bagi menggagalkan segala apa yang hendak dilakukan oleh pembangkang ketika itu sedar dan merasa malu dengan kelulusan yang diberi bagi memudahkan Perhimpunan pada 8hb Disember nanti?

“21.  Perhimpunan kali ini agak unik sedikit kerana buat pertama kalinya UMNO dan PAS akan bersama seperti pasangan pengantin tua yang hampir senja.

“22.  Bagi menjaga air muka masing-masing, Zahid dan Hadi terpaksa meneruskan Perhimpunan  pada 8hb Disember  ini bagi membantah ICERD sedangkan Kerajaan sendiri telah mengumumkan secara rasmi bahawa kerajaan TIDAK AKAN menandatangi deklarasi tersebut.

“23. Oleh kerana berbagai publisiti telah dibuat begitu juga ribuan wang ringgit telah dibelanjakan maka Perhimpunan ini suka tak suka terpaksa diteruskan dengan alasan – alasan yang remeh.

“24.  Saya dan ramai lagi akan sama – sama turun padang jika sekiranya Perhimpunan itu diadakan bagi menuntut dari Najib dan keluarganya memulangkan semulauit rakyat yang disamun mereka melalui 1MDB.

“25.  Begitu juga beratus juta ringgit lesap daripada Tabung Haji yang mana 7 juta orang Islam terutama makcik dan pakcik di kampung menabung di Lembaga itu bagi memudahkan mereka ke Mekah.

“26.  Timbalan Presiden PAS, Tuan Ibrahim Tuan Man memaklumkan Perhimpunan itu akan diadakan bagi melakukan doa dan solat kesyukuran kerana Kerajaan tidak akan menandatangani ICERD.

“27.  Hadi pula dengan alasan hendak mengajar Menteri – Menteri yang tidak menghormati Perdana Menteri.

“28.  Zahid dan beberapa ahli UMNO pula mahu memprotes ICERD.

“29.  Dengan berbagai alasan diberikan mereka,  ini semua membuktikan mereka ini bodoh sombong yang tak boleh diajar.

“30.  Kan lebih bermakna jika mereka gunakan Perhimpunan ini menuntut Najib , Rosmah dan Jho Low memulangkan kembali  harta rakyat yang mereka rompak dari senyap seribu bahasa dan berpeluk tubuh tidak bersuara.

“31.  Yang akan berkumandang di udara ialah laungan ‘ Takbir’ dan ‘Hidup Najib’  bukannya ‘Najib , pulangkan duit kami’.”

Recently, Malaysians have been the victims of the many myths and misconceptions about ICERD, as a result of the escalation of the toxic politics of lies, hate, race and religion by political desperadoes and opportunists in UMNO and PAS.

Firstly, Icerd is in congruence with not only Islam but many religions and teachings and it is downright lie to claim that ratifying Icerd would undermine the position of Islam.

This is why most of the Muslim-majority countries of the world, ncluding Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) countries such as Jordan, Palestine and Saudi Arabia have ratified the Icerd.

Secondly, Icerd and the Malaysian Federal Constitution are compatible with one another. There is  the misconception that if Malaysia were to ratify Icerd, Article 153 would have to be removed. In fact, Article 153 is not inconsistent with the aims of Icerd as Articles 1(4) and 2(2) of Icerd seek to bring about effective or substantive equality, and not merely formal or superficial equality.

Thirdly, Icerd does not undermine the power of the Yang di-Pertuan Agong and result in the abolition of the system of Malay Sultans.

There are 38 countries with the monarchical system, out of which 36 countries have ratified the ICERD including the United Kingdom in 1969, Norway 1970, Sweden 1971, Denmark 1971, Netherlands 1971, Jordan 1974, Belgium 1975, Japan in 1995, and Saudi Arabia 1997.

There are absolutely no indications that the ratification of ICERD by these 36 countries have undermined the monarchical system as to lead to their abolition.

As I said at the Malaysian Association of Jiansu Annual Gala Dinner in Suchou, China a day after the Cabinet announced its decision not to ratify ICERD, the Cabinet decision, although a setback to build a New Malaysia, is understandable.

No Malaysian would want Malaysia to ratify the ICERD at the price of another May 13 racial riot in the country, as there are irresponsible elements seeking to incite and escalate racial and religious distrust, animosity and hatred to engender the conditions to replicate another May 13 racial riot in Malaysia, talking about the Malays running amok and “rindu May 13”.

Malaysia should not ratify ICERD until the majority of the races and religions in Malaysia supports it and understand that it no threat to the various races, religions or the Federal Constitution but a step forward to join the world in promoting human rights.

The ICERD issue is a warning to all Malaysians that their “New Malaysia” vision which was the cause of the historic May 9, 2018 decision which saw a peaceful and democratic transition of power for the first in six decades, and gave hope to the world that democracy as a system of government to achieve freedom, justice and good governance for the people in the world, can still fail if we allow political opportunists and desperadoes to exploit the toxic politics of lies, hatred, race and religion to the extent of unleashing racial and religious conflicts.

(Text of Speech by DAP MP for Iskandar Puteri Lim Kit Siang in Parliament prepared for Anwar Ibrahim’s motion of  urgent definite public  importance supporting the Cabinet decision not to ratify the International Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Racial Discrimination (ICERD) on Thursday, 6th December 2018 but not delivered as Anwar’s motion was disallowed by the Speaker. Text being released as media statement)

———————————————

———————————————

Teks ucapan Ahli Parlimen Iskandar Puteri, Lim Kit Siang di Parlimen yang disediakan bagi membahas usul penting Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim menyokong keputusan Kabinet untuk tidak meratifikasi Konvensyen Antarabangsa Mengenai Penghapusan Semua Diskriminasi Kaum (ICERD) pada hari Khamis, 6 Disember 2018; namun tidak dibacakan setelah usul Anwar tidak dibenarkan oleh Speaker. Teks disebarkan sebagai kenyataan media:

Malaysia tidak harus meratifikasi ICERD sehingga majoriti kaum dan agama di negara ini menyokongnya dan memahami bahawa ia tidak mengancam kepelbagaian kaum, agama mahupun Perlembagaan Persekutuan tetapi merupakan langkah ke hadapan menyertai masyarakat dunia mempromosi hak asasi manusia

Presiden UMNO, Datuk Seri Zahid Hamidi telah mempersoal akidah Menteri Luar Negeri, Datuk Saifuddin Abdullah kerana mahu kerajaan meratifikasi Konvensyen Antarabangsa Mengenai Penghapusan Semua Diskriminasi Kaum, International Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Racial Discrimination (ICERD).

Beliau antara pemimpin politik Melayu yang memberi amaran bahawa orang Melayu akan mengamuk sekiranya kerajaan Malaysia meratifikasi ICERD.

Presiden PAS, Datuk Seri Hadi Awang pula berkata, adalah wajib bagi orang Islam menentang ICERD, manakala penganjur perhimpunan anti-ICERD Sabtu ini berkata bahawa perhimpunan tersebut tidak menyasarkan kaum-kaum lain, tetapi para pengkhianat negara.

Presiden PAS ini adalah mantan Timbalan Presiden Kesatuan Ulama Muslimin Sedunia. Tetapi saya tidak tahu kalau beliau pernah menggunakan platform itu untuk menggesa 55 negara Islam yang menjadi anggota OIC dan meratifikasi ICERD untuk menarik diri daripada konvensyen itu supaya 99% daripada 1.9 bilion umat Islam di dunia yang tinggal di 179 negara yang telah meratifikasi ICERD tidak menjadi pengkhianat agama.

Cadangan meratifikasi ICERD tidak berpunca daripada agenda rahsia untuk melemahkan Perlembagaan Persekutuan atau menyerang kedudukan orang Melayu, agama Islam dan Raja-raja Melayu.

Saya ingin memetik tulisan blog rakan saya, Tamrin Tun Ghafar, bertajuk ‘ICERD atau ICURI’:

“19.  Perbezaan begitu ketara sekali apabila Kerajaan PH yang dipimpin oleh Tun Dr. Mahathir selaku Perdana Menteri tidak teragak – agak membenarkan rakyat berhimpun pada 08/12/18 dengan syarat mereka mesti menghormati Perlembagaan dan undang – undang.

“20. Tidakkah Zahid selaku Presiden UMNO dan Pengerusi BN yang pernah melakukan apa saja yang boleh bagi menggagalkan segala apa yang hendak dilakukan oleh pembangkang ketika itu sedar dan merasa malu dengan kelulusan yang diberi bagi memudahkan Perhimpunan pada 8hb Disember nanti?

“21.  Perhimpunan kali ini agak unik sedikit kerana buat pertama kalinya UMNO dan PAS akan bersama seperti pasangan pengantin tua yang hampir senja.

“22.  Bagi menjaga air muka masing-masing, Zahid dan Hadi terpaksa meneruskan Perhimpunan  pada 8hb Disember  ini bagi membantah ICERD sedangkan Kerajaan sendiri telah mengumumkan secara rasmi bahawa kerajaan TIDAK AKAN menandatangi deklarasi tersebut.

“23. Oleh kerana berbagai publisiti telah dibuat begitu juga ribuan wang ringgit telah dibelanjakan maka Perhimpunan ini suka tak suka terpaksa diteruskan dengan alasan – alasan yang remeh.

“24.  Saya dan ramai lagi akan sama – sama turun padang jika sekiranya Perhimpunan itu diadakan bagi menuntut dari Najib dan keluarganya memulangkan semula duit rakyat yang disamun mereka melalui 1MDB.

“25.  Begitu juga beratus juta ringgit lesap daripada Tabung Haji yang mana 7 juta orang Islam terutama makcik dan pakcik di kampung menabung di Lembaga itu bagi memudahkan mereka ke Mekah.

“26.  Timbalan Presiden PAS, Tuan Ibrahim Tuan Man memaklumkan Perhimpunan itu akan diadakan bagi melakukan doa dan solat kesyukuran kerana Kerajaan tidak akan menandatangani ICERD.

“27.  Hadi pula dengan alasan hendak mengajar Menteri – Menteri yang tidak menghormati Perdana Menteri.

“28.  Zahid dan beberapa ahli UMNO pula mahu memprotes ICERD.

“29.  Dengan berbagai alasan diberikan mereka,  ini semua membuktikan mereka ini bodoh sombong yang tak boleh diajar.

“30.  Kan lebih bermakna jika mereka gunakan Perhimpunan ini menuntut Najib , Rosmah dan Jho Low memulangkan kembali  harta rakyat yang mereka rompak dari senyap seribu bahasa dan berpeluk tubuh tidak bersuara.

“31.  Yang akan berkumandang di udara ialah laungan ‘ Takbir’ dan ‘Hidup Najib’  bukannya ‘Najib , pulangkan duit kami’.”

Rakyat Malaysia telah menjadi mangsa demikian banyak mitos dan salah faham berkenaan ICERD.

Pertamanya, ICERD serasi bukan sahaja dengan Islam bahkan demikian banyak agama dan ajaran. Ramai yang percaya bahawa meratifikasi ICERD ertinya merendahkan martabat Islam.

Ini sebabnya kenapa kebanyakan negara majoriti umat Islam di dunia, termasuk negara anggota OIC seperti Jordan, Palestin dan bahkan Arab Saudi telah meratifikasi ICERD.

Kedua, ICERD turut serasi dengan Perlembagaan Persekutuan. Ramai yang salah faham bahawa sekiranya Malaysia meratifikasi ICERD, Perkara 153 akan dimansuhkan apabila objektifnya telah dicapai. Malah sebenarnya, Perkara 153 konsisten dengan dengan tujuan ICERD, memandangkan Perkara 1(4) dan 2(2) konvensyen itu bertujuan melaksanakan kesetaraan yang berkesan atau substantif, dan bukan sekadar kesetaraan yang bersifat rasmi dan luaran sahaja.

Ketiga, ICERD tidak menjejaskan kuasa Yang di-Pertuan Agong dan mengakibatkatkan terhapusnya sistem Raja-raja Melayu.

Terdapat 38 negara dengan sistem monarki dan 36 daripada telah meratifikasi ICERD termasuk United Kingdom pada 1969, Norway pada 1970, Sweden pada 1971, Denmark 1971, Belanda 1971, Jordan 1974, Belgium 1975, Jepun 1995 dan Arab Saudi pada tahun 1997.

Langsung tidak wujud indikasi bahawa meratifikasi ICERD oleh 36 negara ini telah menjejaskan sistem monarki sehingga ia dihapuskan.

Seperti ucapan saya di majlis makan malam Persatuan Jiansu Malaysia di Suchou, China sehari selepas Kabinet memutuskan untuk tidak meratifikasi ICERD, saya menyokong keputusan Kabinet, meski ia satu langkah ke belakang dalam usaha membina Malaysia Baharu.

Tiada rakyat Malaysia yang mahu meratifikasi ICERD jika harganya ialah adalah suatu lagi rusuhan kaum seperti 13 Mei, memandangkan wujud anasir-anasir yang tidak bertanggungjawab mahu mencetuskan rasa tidak percaya sesama kaum dan agama, selain rasa saling membenci bagi menimbulkan keadaan yang boleh menyebabkan tercetusnya satu lagi rusuhan kaum ala 13 Mei di Malaysia, malah bercakap tentang mengamuknya orang Melayu dan kononnya ‘rindu dengan 13 Mei’.

Malaysia tidak harus meratifikasi ICERD sehingga majoriti kaum dan agama di negara ini menyokongnya dan memahami bahawa ia tidak mengancam kepelbagaian kaum, agama mahupun Perlembagaan Persekutuan tetapi merupakan langkah ke hadapan menyertai masyarakat dunia mempromosi hak asasi manusia.

Isu ICERD adalah amaran untuk seluruh rakyat Malaysia bahawa wawasan ‘Malaysia Baharu’ yang menjadi pencetus sejarah keputusan pilihanraya 9 Mei 2018 yang menyaksikan perubahan kuasa demokratik dan aman buat pertama kali dalam tempoh 60 tahun dan  memberi harapan kepada dunia bahawa demokrasi sebagai suatu sistem kerajaan untuk mencapai kebebasan, keadilan dan urustadbir yang baik untuk masyarakat dunia, masih boleh dikalahkan sekiranya kita membiarkan oportunis politik dan para ‘desperado’ mengeksploitasi politik kebohongan, kebencian, kaum dan agama sehingga sanggup melancarkan konflik kaum dan agama.

– Lim Kit Siang

                This entry was posted on Thursday, 6 December 2018, 4:55 pm and is filed under
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New Malaysia is a challenge to all Malaysians to make Malaysia a top world class nation to compete with the rest of the world and not a divided and fractured nation warring  against itself

Two events mark the  new era that we are in after the historic  14th General Elections on May 9, 2018, when we shocked ourselves and the world with a peaceful and democratic transition of power and gave hope to Malaysians and the world  not to write off parliamentary democracy as a form of government to bring a better life for the people.

Firstly, my return to speak at the University of Malaya after absence of  some four decades for the launching of the book, “509: The People Have Spoken”; and secondly, the alleged 500,000-people anti-ICERD rally in Kuala Lumpur tomorrow – both of which would have  been unthinkable and undoable if there had been no change of the occupants in Putrajaya on May 9, 2018.

I have been accused by MCA leaders and others  of betraying my principles in exchange for power, and the example cited is the Cabinet decision not to ratify the International Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Racial Discrimination (Icerd).

One MCA leader attacked the DAP for failing to persuade the other parties in Pakatan Harapan – Bersatu, Amanah and PKR – to ratify the Icerd and “opened the doors for hegemony vis-à-vis PAS-UMNO participation”.

I do not know whether he is justifying UMNO hegemony in the past because of  the profound silence of MCA leaders in government.

Be that as it may, I think it is one of the greatest regrets of the agitators of the UMNO-PAS anti-ICERD axis that despite all their efforts, they could not find any evidence to show that the DAP was in any way involved in efforts for the ratification of Icerd.

This would have served the script of these agitators of UMNO-PAS anti-ICERD axis about the anti-Malay, anti-Islam character of the Pakatan Harapan Government, because real power behind the scene is the so-called anti-Malay and anti-Islam DAP,  that the Prime Minister, Tun Dr. Mahathir Mohammad was just my stooge and puppet, now that their earlier script of lies and falsehood that I would become the Prime Minister if Pakatan Harapan had won the 14th General Elections had been proven to be nothing to be a pack of lies and falsehoods.

The greatest political contradiction is that at the recent MCA General Assembly,

DAP was flayed as anti-Chinese.

DAP is never anti-Chinese, anti-Malay, anti-Indian, anti-Kadazan or anti-Dayak. What distinguishes us is that we are pro-Malaysia.

DAP leaders never deny our ethnicity, but whether we are Chinese, Malays, Indians, Kadazans or Ibans, we are even more important Malaysians, which give qualifies us to champion the rights and welfare of all Malaysians, regardless of race or religion.

DAP Secretary-General and Finance Minister, Lim Guan Eng is the only political leader who have crossed ethnic lines to sacrifice his political future and position as Member of Parliament, and even went to jail, in the defence of honour and dignity of an underaged Malay girl, when he was a MP for Kota Melaka in the nineties.

No  political leader, whether UMNO, MCA or whatever, had  ever make such sacrifices for a Malaysian  of the same race or religion,   let alone a Malaysian of another race or religion.

The ICERD incident is a salutary reminder to all Malaysians that we have long way to go accomplish our new goal of a new Malaysia, which is a challenge to all Malaysians to make Malaysia a top world class nation to compete with the rest of the world and not a divided and fractured nation warring  against itself.

No Malaysian would want Malaysia to ratify the ICERD at the price of another May 13 racial riot in the country, as there are political desperadoes and opportunists  seeking to incite and escalate racial and religious distrust, animosity and hatred to engender the conditions to replicate another May 13 racial riot in Malaysia, although  ICERD is not  against the Malaysian Constitution, anti-Malay, anti-Islam and anti-Malay Rulers?

Tomorrow, Malaysia will become the laughing stock of the Muslims of the  world, as 99% of the 1.9 billion Muslims of the world live in the 179 countries which have ratified ICERD,  including 55 of the 57 Organisation of Islamic Conference (OIC) nations.

UKM Research fellow, Dr. Denison Jayasooria has a good article in Malaysiakini yesterday entitled: “Examining Icerd ratification among OIC members”, where he reviewed the ratification by OIC member states, including Saudi Arabia, Indonesia, Turkey, Egypt, Iran, Palestine, and he concluded: “As far as I note none of them has objections or placed reservations in the name of Islam.”

Icerd also does not undermine the power of the Yang di-Pertuan Agong and result in the abolition of the system of Malay Sultans.

There are 38 countries with the monarchical system, out of which 36 countries have ratified the ICERD including the United Kingdom in 1969, Norway 1970, Sweden 1971, Denmark 1971, Netherlands 1971, Jordan 1974, Belgium 1975, Japan in 1995, and Saudi Arabia 1997.

There are absolutely no indications that the ratification of ICERD by these 36 countries have undermined the monarchical system as to lead to their abolition.

But ours is a plural society and it is of paramount importance that we can ensure the unity and harmony of our of diverse races, languages, cultures and religions in Malaysia, and for this reason, I have come to the view that Malaysia should not ratify ICERD until the majority of the races and religions in Malaysia supports it and understand that it no threat to the various races, religions or the Federal Constitution but a step forward to join the world in promoting human rights.

Tomorrow will mark the seventh month of the historic May 9, 2018.

Malaysians saved Malaysia and made history on May 9, 2018, giving Malaysians a second chance to reset nation-building policies so that Malaysia will not become a failed and rogue state, on top of being a kakistocracy and global kleptocracy.

A New Malaysia cannot be accomplished in a hundred days or in six months, but will take a decade of two. All Malaysians must develop a Big Picture and Long-term Vision perspectives.

An important start for the building of a New Malaysia was made on May 9, 2018 when we showed the world, at a time when democracy as a system of government was facing crisis of confidence worldwide, that parliamentary democracy is still the best among the worst systems of government.

We must continue the quest to become a top world-class nation by leveraging on the values and assets of the diverse races, religions, languages, cultures and civilizations which meet in confluence in Malaysia.

Let us show the world that we can:

· Transform Malaysia from a global kleptocracy into a leading nation of integrity.

· Restore democracy and doctrine of separation of powers among the Executuive, Parliament and the Judiciary;

· Enact far-reaching law reforms, although the repeal of Anti-Fake Acts was blocked and sabotaged by the Barisan National-controlled Senate.

· Effect far-reaching parliamentary reforms to end the Malaysian Parliament from becoming the joke of world Parliaments as a 1MDB Parliament which banned discussion of the 1MDB scandal.

· Develop Malaysia into a “tiger economy” after the massive problems of the “black hole” of a trillion-ringgit government debt and a global kleptocracy had been addressed.

· Restore primary and secondary schools as well as universities as leading world educational institutions of their kind to establish Malaysia as among the world’s top-tier nations in education.

· Fulfill the goal as enunciated by Bapa Malaysia Tunku Abdul Rahman of Malaysia as “a beacon of light in a difficult and distracted world”.

· Build a New Malaysia of greater national unity, integrity, democracy, rule of law, excellence, justice and prosperity.

(Speech by DAP MP for Iskandar Puteri Lim Kit Siang at the launching of the book, “509: The People Have Spoken” at the University of Malaya on Friday, 7th Dece3mber 2018 at 10 am)

                This entry was posted on Friday, 7 December 2018, 10:28 am and is filed under
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Najib’s kleptocracy main reason why Malaysia trailed far behind Qatar in the annual Transparency International (TI) Corruption Perception Index (CPI) in the past nine years

Nobody is surprised that former Prime Minister, Datuk Seri Najib Razak, has given his full backing to the anti-International Convention on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination (ICERD) rally today, as Najib is trying to create history and to be the first global kleptocrat in 1,500 years of Islamic history to be able to make a comeback to the pinnacle of political power  – whether again as Prime Minister of Malaysia or as de facto leader of UMNO and the UMNO-PAS axis, overt or covert.

What a world of a difference between the Sheikh Tamin Hamad Al-Thani International Anti-Corruption Excellence Award yesterday and the three-day 16th International Conference (IACC) held in Putrajaya just three years ago.

At the Sheikh Tamin Hamad Al-Thani International Anti-Corruption Excellence Award  yesterday, the Prime Minister Dr Mahathir Mohamad said Malaysia and Malaysians can only consider themselves developed when they can resist corruption and put a stop to it.

He said Malaysia needed to take corruption seriously if it wanted to join the ranks of developed countries and to be the “tiger of Asia” again.  There is no short-cuts to success.

Mahathir said Malaysia was pulling all stops to not only remove the “kleptocracy” tag but also to remind all in Malaysia that corruption is not something to be tolerated.

“It should be treated with disgust and anger,” he said, adding that only by reducing corrupt practices, could the government and nation move forward.

“It is time for Malaysia to join the list of developed and capable countries and let the world know that we are a strong nation that respects democracy and the rule of law,” he said.

Mahathir stressed that Malaysians must ensure efforts to improve governance and introduce anti-corruption initiatives were intended to bring an end to corrupt practices and abuse of power.

What a contrast to the three-day 16th International Anti-Corruption Conference (IACC) in Putrajaya in September 2015 – as they  were three days of global public relations (PR) disaster for Malaysia.

The three days were  a shameful 72-hour torment for  the pride, honour and dignity of Malaysia never experienced by Malaysians in nearly six decades of nationhood.

It started with the then Prime Minister, Datuk Seri Najib Razak’s last-minute, panicky and ill-advised pull-out from the opening ceremony of the IACC (in fear of hard questions, “personal issues” and “a possible hostile reception”), replaced by the then Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department, Datuk Paul Low, who started his speech with the remark: “
I am not here to defend the PM. I am here fighting for my job.”

Right from the very beginning of the opening ceremony, Malaysia’s corruption crisis, in particular the “two elephants in the room”, the RM50 billion 1MDB and RM2.6 billion “donation” financial scandals, took centre-stage and remained the most obsessive issue throughout the three-day conference, up to the closing ceremony.

Right from the beginning of the 16th IACC, Transparency International President Jose Ugaz opened up with a powerful plea for “honesty and integrity” from the Najib administration, asking Najib pointedly to restore confidence and trust by answering questions about the US$700 million in his personal bank accounts – (1) who paid the money and why; and (2) Where did it go.

This was followed up on the second day by the TI co-founder and erstwhile adviser to Najib on anti-corruption matters, Michael J. Hershman, telling Najib to come clean on the RM2.6 billion donation that he received.

Hershman advised Najib:
“Tell the truth about where did the money come from and address the accusation. And if he did something wrong, then asked for forgiveness and face the consequences
.”

Hershman said the explanations given so far were not good enough.

He said; “
If it came from the Middle East, who did it come from? When did it come and for what purpose? These are very simple questions.”

He added that since Najib had control of the account, he must know where it came from.

“There is no reason for a panel for investigations. Just tell the truth. Get it out in the public,”
he added.

On the third and last day of the IACC, the criticisms became an avalanche.

Global Investigative Journalism Network executive director David Kaplan said those attempting to cover up the matter are out of touch with the times and that the government cannot conceal information on the RM2.6 billion deposited into PM Najib’s personal bank accounts in the digital age.

Amnesty International secretary-general Salil Shetty asked if the RM2.6 billion in Najib’s personal bank accounts was “grand corruption”.

Transparency International managing director Cobus De Swardt warned that in the absence of answers and an independent investigation, “suspicion of corruption, mistrust and appearance of being above the law will prevail”.

The Chairman of UN Convention Against Corruption (UNCAC) coalition, Manzoor Hasan, wanted Najib to step down as Prime Minister to allow the investigation into the RM2.6 billion donation he received to proceed without interference.

Malaysia’s travails went on till the very close of IACC with the Transparency International vice president Elena Panfilova reiterating that Najib has to come clean on the RM2.6 billion in his personal bank accounts.

Malaysia was literally hauled over the coals at the 16th  IACC in Putrajaya  for the corruption crisis in the country as no one in Government could give any satisfactory or acceptable answer – which was understandable when even the then  Prime Minister had turned tail from the IACC.

Malaysia would never have been the venue for the Third Sheikh Tamim Hamad

Al-Thani International Excellence Award if Malaysia had continued to be a global kleptocracy under Najib’s premiership.

In fact, Najib’s kleptocracy was the main reason why Malaysia trailed far behind Qatar in the annual Transparency International (TI) Corruption Perception Index (CPI) series.

When the annual TI CPI series was introduced in 1995, Malaysia was ranked No. 23 out of 41 countries or the 6th highest-ranked nation in the Asia-Pacific after New Zealand -1, Singapore – 3, Australia – 7, Hong Kong – 17 and Japan – 20, with a CPI score of 5.28. (10 stands for “highly clean” and 0 for “highly corrupt”).

Qatar was only listed in the TI CPI 2003, when it was  ranked No. 32 out of   177  countries and scored 5.6 points, while Malaysia was ranked No. 37 with a score of 5.2 points.

In all the nine years with Najib as Prime Minister of Malaysia from 2009 to 2018, the gap between Malaysia’s  ranking and score with Qatar on the annual TI CPI series widened from Qatar  being ranked No. 22 and scored 7.0 points in 2009 to No. 29 with 63/100 points in 2017 as compared to Malaysia’s ranking and score of No. 56 with 4.5 points in 2003 to No. 62 with 47/100 points in 2017.

One of the Malaysia’s greatest challenges is to transform Malaysia from a global kleptocracy into a  leading nation of integrity, or  to be among the first 45 out of 180 countries.

Can Malaysia leap from No. 62 in the TI CPI 2017 to within the top quarter of 45 out of 180 countries in the future TI CPI series?

This must be the challenge of all Malaysians!

How many years will it take Malaysia to better Qatar in the annual TI CPI ranking and score?

In fact, it is worth noting that under Najib’s nine-year  premiership, Malaysia was not only more corrupt than under the two previous Prime Ministers Mahathir and Tun Abdullah Ahmad Badawi, but had  the dubious honour of being the only Asian-Pacific country to slip in both TI CPI  ranking and score since the introduction of the TI CPI annual series  in 1995.

(Media Statement by DAP MP for Iskandar Puteri Lim Kit Siang in Gelang Patah on Saturday, 8th December 2018)

                This entry was posted on Saturday, 8 December 2018, 11:32 am and is filed under
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