Call for an international investigation into the murder of DPP Kevin Morais following the shock statutory declaration by his brother Charles who raised many disturbing questions

Next week is the last week of the 25-day parliamentary budget meeting, and there are no signs that the Prime Minister, Datuk Seri Najib Razak will come clean and give a full and satisfactory accounting of his twin mega scandals in the last four days of the six-week parliamentary meeting from Nov. 30 to Dec. 3.

Those who had hoped that the RM2.6 billion “donation” and RM50 billion 1MDB twin mega scandals, now that the ASEAN and Post-ASEAN Summits with the largest-ever gathering of Asia-Pacific leaders in Kuala Lumpur in recent times had been  held without any mishap,  will somehow disappear or fade away by the time the UMNO General Assemblies are held from Dec. 8 to 12, 2015 cannot be more wrong.

Firstly, Najib’s twin mega scandals had haunted and hounded the ASEAN and Post-ASEAN Summits in Kuala Lumpur last weekend.

There is no doubt that Najib’s twin mega scandals featured prominently in their own  internal briefings of every ASEAN and Asian-Pacific leader who was in  Kuala Lumpur over the weekend, receiving their personal attention even though not a single one of the ASEAN and Asian-Pacific leaders would have committed the diplomatic faux pax of breathing a word of Najib’s twin mega scandals in public.

This was why one commentator entitled a  round-up of the ASEAN Summit with the heading:
“ASEAN summit tarnished by Malaysian corruption scandal involving PM”.

After United States President Barack Obama’s meeting with Najib, Obama said he had raised the importance of transparency, accountability and rooting out  corruption with Najib, though he would not comment on investigations against Najib as he  would not touch on ongoing probes even on the US soil.

It is most demeaning and degrading for the Malaysian Prime Minister to be “lectured” by the US President on the importance of transparency, accountability and rooting out corruption – something Obama would never dream of doing in his meetings with the Prime Ministers of Japan or Singapore for instance.

This is because the Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe or Singapore Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong could simply shut up Obama by pointing out that in the 2014 Transparency International (TI) Corruption Perception Index (CPI), Japan is ranked No. 15 and Singapore No. 7, while United States is placed lower at No. 17.

Najib could not shut Obama up, not only because Malaysia’s is ranked No. 50 as compared to the United States No. 17  in the 2014 TI CPI, but also because of the New York Times revelation that Najib is being probed by Federal Bureau of Investigations (FBI) under the US Department of Justice Kleptocracy Assets Recovery Initiative 2010 in connection with  his twin mega scandals.

Secondly, events after the ASEAN and Post-ASEAN Summits in Kuala Lumpur last weekend have conspired to show that Najib’s twin mega scandals will grow ever bigger as national and international scandals and there is no way to wish away Najib’s twin mega scandals – even with the appointment of a very pliant Chairman of the Public Accounts Committee who was not shy to say he had to “cari makan” when asked why the PAC was not summoning Najib as a “star witness” to PAC investigations into 1MDB.

Three recent developments are proof that Najib’s twin mega scandals will grow ever bigger as national and international scandals and that they are not going to disappear, even with the latest RM9.8 billion buy-out of 1MDB energy assets by state-owned China General Nuclear Power, viz:

1.	Wall Street Journal (WSJ) special infographics yesterday on the 1MDB scandal and its “serpentine links to the Federal Government and beyond”.

2.	The growing revolt among the three  million UMNO members and 21,000 UMNO branches over Najib’s mishandlinhg of the twin mega scandals as well as other policy disasters like the Goods and Services Tax (GST).

3.	The statutory declaration by Charles Morais raising disturbing questions about the murder of his brother, DPP Kevin Morais and whether it was connected with the 1MDB scandal.

The comprehensive and infographic-laden breakdown of the 1MDB scandal by WSJ yesterday, which followed the 1MDB’s “controversial transactions” and  money trail with five succinct short videos, explained in layman terms the “behind-the-scenes machinations that led  1MDB to its current morass”.

Undoubtedly, the WSJ report, which detailed the sordid evolution of Malaysia’s biggest financial and political controversy in the nation’s history, and the subject of investigations by at least seven countries –  Britain, Switzerland, Abu Dhabi, Singapore, Hong Kong, Australia and United States –  marks a new level of international concern about Najib’s twin mega scandals.

This week has also seen the growing revolt of the three million UMNO members and the 21,000 UMNO branches over Najib’s twin mega scandals, and although there are no signs that  Najib’s position as Prime Minister and UMNO President are facing any threat as he  continues to command a very powerful grip on UMNO because of the support of the 300 UMNO chieftains, this is a new phenomenon in UMNO and Malaysian politics with far-reaching consequences.

But it is  the latest revelations by Charles Morais over the murder of his brother DPP Kevin Moraes in Septebmer which has catapulted the 1MDB scandal to a new dimension.

In a statutory declaration which was made public today, Charles Morais alleged that Kevin’s murder was linked to a charge sheet he was preparing against a “high-ranking government official” and that Kevin had confided in him while he was preparing the charge sheet in the Attorney-General’s Chambers.

Charles said that two or three months before Kevin’s death, the deceased had told him that he was working on a case involving a very high-level government official.

Charles, who lives in Atlanta, USA, said his brother confided this to him over the phone and had spoken in Malayalam, fearing that his phone might be  tapped.

Charles said that the alleged draft charge sheet against Prime Minister Najib Abdul Razak released by whistleblower site Sarawak Report had carried Kevin’s initials.

He  said when he saw the charge sheet that appeared on the website on July 30, he recognised his brother’s initials.

The new Attorney-general Tan Sri Mohd Apandi Ali had previously dismissed the alleged draft charge sheet as false.

Charles said in his statutory declaration that he always kept in touch with Kevin, including making two or three phone calls a month and constant e-mail correspondence.

Charles also claimed   to be in possession of a pen drive sent to him by Kevin just before he was murdered.

Charles said: “It is in safe custody in the US with someone who has instructions to release it publicly should anything untoward happen to me for swearing this statutory declaration.

“The contents of this pen drive clearly and unequivocally reveal the investigation Kevin had been tasked with just before his untimely death, which implicates certain personalities who currently walk the corridors of power in Malaysia.”

Charles said in his statutory declaration that Kevin told him in August that he would send Charles something via courier for safekeeping.

He told reporters at a press conference in Kuala Lumpur that the pen drive arrived at his home in Atlanta in late October.

These are shocking revelations if true.

Malaysia seemed to have become the “Land of Shocking Statutory Declarations” and Malaysians are  reminded eerily of the previous Statutory Declarations by private investigator PI Bala in connection with the murder of Mongolian Altantunya Shaariibuu.

Charles’ revelations in his Statutory Declaration warrants a new and full  inquiry into Kevin’s murder, but it should be an international inquiry in view  the implication of the alleged involvement of powerful personalities, including the new Attorney-General who had earlier dismissed the report about the alleged charge sheet against the Prime Minister.

One person who should know about Charles’ allegations will be Tan Sri Gani Patail, Kevin’s superior who was summarily sacked as Attorney-General for alleged “health” reasons, three months before his compulsory retirement.

But will Gani speak up?

(Speech  at the “Solidarity with Lim Kit Siang & Mana RM2.6 billion?” ceramah organized by Batu Kawan DAP Parliamentary Liaison Committee at Dewan Saberguna Chai Leng, Prai on Wednesday, November 25, 2015 at 10 pm)

                This entry was posted on Thursday, 26 November 2015, 7:38 am and is filed under
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Is Pandikar’s agreement with Azalina’s privileges motion against Nurul Izzah the Speaker’s quid pro quo for the  earlier agreement of  Minister in PM’s Office to the Speaker’s proposal to suspend me from Parliament for six months?

The UMNO/BN coalition should  stop abusing its simple majority in Parliament and withdraw the privileges motion against Nurul Izzah  Anwar unless it could accept an amendment to also refer the Prime Minister, Datuk Seri Najib  Razak to the  Committee of Privileges for the photograph which appeared in the social media last month of Najib’s handshake with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu  in the United Nations.

Clearly, after suspending me from Parliament for six months, the UMNO/BN coalition is now targetting a second victim for eviction from Parliament – the PKR Vice President and Lembah Pantai MP, Nurul Izzah.

Why did the Speaker, Tan Sri Pandikar Amin Mulia agree with the Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department, Datuk Azalina Othman Said and gave her  special exemption of not having to give seven days’ notice for her privileges motion against Nurul?

This is against all parliamentary tradition, convention and practices – as well as violate Standing Order 27 (3) which states:

“Except as provided in Standing Order 43 and in paragraph (5) of Standing Order 86 and 26(1), not less than fourteen days’ notice of any motion shall be given unless it is in the name of a Minister, in which case seven days’ notice or, if Tuan Yang di-Pertua is satisfied upon representation to him by a Minister that the public interest requires that a motion should be debated as soon as possible, one day’s notice shall be sufficient.”

Azalina’s motion clearly requires  the requisite seven days’ notice stipulated for motions in the name of a Minister.

Can the Speaker Pandikar  explain what is the “public interest” that Azalina had pleaded to justify her motion being exempted from the requisite seven-day notice for Ministerial motions or  is  it just Pandikar’s quid pro quo to Azalina, agreeing to Azalina’s privileges motion against Nurul Izzah in return for Azalina’s  earlier agreement as  Minister in PM’s Office to the Speaker’s proposal to suspend me from Parliament for six months?

If so, then it is a very sad day for parliamentary democracy in Malaysia and highlights the uphill battle that must be waged before Parliament is stripped of all its undemocratic, unjust and cronyistic abuses and practices.

Azalina’s motion against Nurul is most spiteful and  a gross abuse of parliamentary majority which will open the floodgates of majoritarian oppression of the minority in Parliament – a major regression of Parliamentary practices in Malaysia at a time when even the Speaker is himself talking the language of  parliamentary reforms.

Azalina has not been able to respond to the  two major objections to such a motion:

Firstly, although couched in the form of a reference of Nurul to the Committee of Privileges, the motion denies freedom of inquiry and finding by the Committee of Privileges as it essentially  constitutes a  sentence of conviction that Nurul is guilty of the outrageous charges made by Azalina.

Secondly, it is an oppressive and dangerous precedent to condemn an MP for violating the oath of office as a Member of Parliament “to bear true faith and allegiance to Malaysia” and to “preserve, protect and defend the Constitution” on the flimsiest of grounds, not based on any finding of  fact  but solely on whether a majority vote in Parliament could be summoned in favour of the motion.

I hope good sense will prevail at the Cabinet meeting tomorrow and that Azalina will be instructed to withdraw her privileges motion against Nurul unless the Cabinet agrees to an amendment to also refer Najib to the Committee of Privileges for the photograph  in the social media last month of Najib’s handshake with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu  in the United Nations.

(Speech  after  “Solidarity with Lim Kit Siang & Mana RM2.6 billion?” walkabout at the Pasar Koboi/Pasar Telok Wanjah in Derga constituency in Alor Setar on Thursday, 26th November 2015 at 10 am)

                This entry was posted on Thursday, 26 November 2015, 2:01 pm and is filed under
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Let 2015 be another historic milestone in Baling, marking not only the formation of DAP and AMANAH in Baling, but the beginning of the Pakatan Harapan campaign to win Kedah state government in 14GE

DAP State Chairman and Assemblyman for Derga, Sdr. Tan Kok Yew just now regaled us about  the three historic milestones of Baling, viz:

*the 1956 Baling Peace talks featuring Tunku Abdul Rahman, David Marshall and Chin Peng;

*the 1974 Baling hunger strike  by peasants protesting against poverty, featuring Anwar Ibrahim and resulting in  his detention under the Internal Security Act;

*the 1985 tragic Memali Incident which left 18 dead.

Let us make 2015 a fourth historic milestone for Baling, for it is in this year that two political parties were formed in Baling – Parti Amanah Negara and DAP.

Even more significant, let the formation of Parti Amanah Negara and DAP in Baling in 2015, together with the establishment of Pakatan Harapan, mark the beginning of the Pakatan Harapan campaign to win the Kedah state government in the 14th General Election which must be be held within 30 months in 2018.

The presence of AMANAH national and state leaders at the formation of the Baling DAP Branch today is doubly significant  as I am glad to see my old friend from Perak, former Perak Mentri Besar Datuk Seri Nizar Jamaluddin, now a AMANAH national leader, with us as well as the Kedah AMANAH chairman, Datuk Dr. Ismail Salleh and the head of Baling AMANAH Sdr. Rosli – signifying the resolve and commitment of Pakatan Harapan not only to win the Kedah state government, but to pave the way for the Pakatan Harapan capture of Putrajaya in the 14GE.

I must thank the Speaker of Parliament, Tan Sri Pandikar Amin Mulia for my six-month suspension from Parliament which has enabled me to travel up and down the country, and to come to Baling today and later to Lunas and Gua Cempadak, to explain  the reasons for the  parliamentary injustice of suspending me from Parliament  for articulating what is the hearts and minds of all patriotic Malaysians– From where the RM2.6 billion in Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak’s personal banking accounts came from, and to where they have gone to?

This is not just about Najib’s RM2.6 billion “donation” scandal or the RM50 billion 1MDB scandal – as it is about the larger question whether we have a government which holds itself to be accountable to the people for all aspects of financial expenditures and to avoid financial scandals.

I do not believe that it is just the members and supporters of Pakatan Harapan, comprising DAP, PKR and Parti Amanah who want answers to these two questions – From Where and To   Where the RM2.6 billion in Najib’s personal banking accounts have gone to.

The sacking of Tan Sri Muyhiddin Yassin as Deputy Prime Minister and Datuk Seri Shafie Apdal as Minister for Rural and Regional Devepment for asking questions about Najib’s RM2.6 billion “donation” and RM50 billion 1MDB twin mega scandals are not going to stop the growing revolt of the three million UMNO members and the 21,000 UMNO Branches from demanding  answers to these two mega scandals.

Today, the UMNO Secretary-General Datuk Seri Tengku Adnan Mansor said that there no attempts to silence Muhyiddin by disallowing him as the No. 2 in UMNO to speak at the joint  opening of the UMNO Youth, Wanita and Puteri Assemblies next month, but  UMNO “traditions” needed to be changed to ensure that the party “cancer” does not spread.

It is indeed shocking that the UMNO Deputy President has been likened to “cancer” in UMNO by the party’s secretary-general.

I am not an UMNO member but surely Muhyiddin deserves more respect from UMNO officials and members.

However, the single biggest issue confronting Malaysians, including the three million UMNO members and 21,000 UMNO branches, is whether they are prepared to join hands  with all Malaysians including Pakatan Harapan  for one single common purpose – how to save Malaysia from the prolonged and deepening political, economic, good governance and nation-building crisis plaguing the country, as the question is no more about saving an individual or even a political party but how to save the whole country.

(Speech  at the formation of the Baling DAP Branch at Restoran Haji Wahab, Pekan Kupang, Baling on Thursday, 26th November 2015 at 4 pm)

                This entry was posted on Thursday, 26 November 2015, 8:15 pm and is filed under
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Abdul Azeez should return to Baling to publicly apologise for his “balik tongsan” and other offensive  remarks in Parliament or he should be voted out in 14GE as betraying the trust of the Baling electorate

The UMNO  Member of Parliament for Baling, Datuk Seri Abdul Azeez Abdul Rahman made Baling infamous in Parliament when he betrayed the trust of the voters of Baling by  making offensive remarks against other races and other MPs, like his derogatory “balik tongsan” remark in Parliament early this month.

Only those who have a narrow, extremist and intolerant mindset, completely at odds with the inclusive 1Malaysia policy,  could regard the Chinese or any other ethnic group  as inherently “disloyal” to Malaysia, and be so irresponsible as to flippantly hurl  the  derogatory term “balik tongsan” against the  Malaysian Chinese, which was as good as telling them  to “return to mainland China”.

Abdul Azeez made the remark in Parliament against DAP MP for Kota Kinabalu, Jimmy Wong, during the committee stage of the 2016 Budget debate on the Home Ministry, causing outrage among right-thinking Members of Parliament and Malaysians.

Although Abdul Azeez, as a result of the protest by the DAP parliamentary whip, Anthony Loke (Seremban), was forced to retract the offensive and derogatory term “balik tongsan” in Parliament, he  was never remorseful for his most unMalaysian conduct for he never apologised for it.

Abdul Azeez should return to Baling to publicly apologise for his “balik tongsan” and other offensive  remarks in Parliament or he should be voted out in 14GE as betraying the trust of the Baling electorate.

All genuine Malaysians, regardless of race or religion, must be offended by Abdul Azeez’s “balik tongsan” remark, for it shows the utter failure of Malaysian nation-building when an UMNO Member of Parliament could make such offensive and derogatory remark against other races in the country.

Members of Parliament, whether from UMNO or from Pakatan Harapan, should be setting an example of how a genuine and patriotic Malaysian should talk, think and act, rising above race and other prejudices of the  past, to build a united, peaceful, harmonious, progressive and successful plural  Malaysia and not setting the worst example of an “Ugly Malaysian”  because of chauvinist, intolerant or extremist mindsets,  whatever the racial, religious or political background.

I have devoted 50 years of my life to Malaysian politics, not to “cari makan” for myself, but because I believe it is a noble cause to help achieve the united, plural and successful Malaysian nation we promised this country would become when the Merdeka Proclamation was read out by the nation’s founding Prime Minister, Tunku Abdul Rahman on 31st August 1957.

I have devoted 50 years of my life in Malaysian politics not to build a “tongsan” in mainland China, which could not pull any heart-strings of devotion and patriotism, not only for me but also for all Malaysians of Chinese descent.

Abdul Azeez and all like him in UMNO should learn quick and fast that for me, and for all Malaysians, regardless of race, religion or region, our “tongsan” is Malaysia and no other country.

Our motherland is Malaysia and not mainland China,  the Indian sub-continent or any other foreign land.

If after 58 years of Malaysian nation-building, Abdul Azeez is still unable to understand or grasp this simple fact, then he is not fit to be a Member of Parliament and should be rejected by all Malaysians, regardless of race, religion, region or politics in the 14GE.

[Speech (2) at the formation of the Baling DAP Branch at Restoran Haji Wahab, Pekan Kupang, Baling on Thursday, 26th November 2015 at 4 pm]

                This entry was posted on Friday, 27 November 2015, 8:48 am and is filed under
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As IGP and AG have rubbished Charles Morais’ statutory declaration, an independent international inquiry into killing of Kevin Morais provides a golden opportunity to clear Malaysian government’s good name and integrity which have been dragged into the mud by recent scandals

As the Inspector-General of Police, Tan Sri Khalid Abu Bakar and the new Attorney-General Tan Sri Mohamad Apandi Ali have rubbished the shocking revelations in the  statutory declaration by Charles Morais in connection with the murder of his brother and Deputy Public Prosecutor Kevin Morais, a golden opportunity opens up to clear the Malaysian government’s good name and integrity which had been dragged into the mud by recent scandals.

If there is no basis whatsoever to the shocking allegations in Charles’ statutory declaration in connection with the equally shocking murder of Kevin, an independent international inquiry into the killing of Kevin would clear and go a long way to rehabilitate   Malaysia’s good name and integrity, especially in the important areas of law enforcement and the upholding of the rule of law.

It is trite to say that Malaysians have lost confidence and trust in the credibility and even legitimacy of any local investigations into “high profile” cases – whether involving the police and the Inspector-General of Police, the new Attorney-General (bearing in mind the circumstances of his sudden appointment on 24-hour notice job-switch from a Federal Court judgeship and the sacking of the Tan Sri Gani Patail as Attorney-General) or worst of all, the Prime Minister, Datuk Seri Najib Razak, now bearing all the “crosses” of his ever-ballooning twin mega scandals.

This is why at the “Solidarity with Lim Kit Siang & Mana RM2.6 billion?” DAP ceramah at Prai, Penang  last night, I had called for a new, full and independent international inquiry into Kevin’s murder, following Charles’ statutory declaration.

Charles claimed to be in possession of a pen drive sent to him by Kevin clearly revealing information on details of his last case, before being murdered, and implicating certain high-ranking personalities.

Immediately after public revelation of Charles’ statutory declaration, which is eerily reminiscent of the previous Statutory Declarations by private investigator PI Bala in connection with the murder of Mongolian Altantunya Shaariibuu, there is a high-powered campaign to discredit Charles with an expose of his past corporate failures, including unearthing a Wall Street Journal article  entitled “A Hotel Empire Unravels – Kronos Owners Grapple with Bankruptcy, Criminal Charges” directly linked to Charles.

I have never met Charles and is in  no position to judge his personality or character.

I would think that as a man of the world, Charles would know that he risks not only an expose but a demonization of his past and even systematic character-assassination if he proceeds with his explosive statutory declaration – and he must have agonised over it for quite some time, “To Be nor Not To Be”.

Either Charles is an inveterate liar and big-time moneygrubber or he was speaking what he perceived to be the truth, and his preparedness to take the risk of an expose and demonization  of his past and even character-assassination are points to his credit in his agony over what he should do to protect the memory of his brother.

Let everybody show that they have nothing to hide with the Malaysian government inviting an independent and international investigation into the murder of Kevin, which will help to restore national and international confidence in the Malaysian system of justice after the many setbacks caused by so many scandals, not least of which are the still unresolved twin mega scandals involving RM2.6 billion “donation”  in Najib’s personal banking accounts and 1MDB.

(Speech at the DAP “Solidarity with Lim Kit Siang & Mana RM2.6 billion?” Ceramah in Lunas, Kedah on Thursday, 26th November 2015 at 9 pm)

                This entry was posted on Friday, 27 November 2015, 10:59 am and is filed under
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Three million UMNO members and 21,000 UMNO branches must place “Save the country” as top national agenda as the UMNO President and leadership have lost national purpose and bearings

Malaysia is in unchartered waters.

We have a minority government which won only 47% of the popular vote in the 13th General Election but 60% of the parliamentary seats, allowing Datuk Seri Najib Razak to continue as the sixth Prime Minister of Malaysia though a minority Prime Minister for the first time in Malaysia.

For the first time in the nation’s history, the leadership structure and institutions in the country have never been so fractured, not only in the public services as in the civil service and the major agencies like the Police, the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission, Bank Negara, the Attorney-General’s Chambers but also in UMNO and Barisan Nasional ruling coalition.

Never before in the nation’s history, as the country been plagued by so many national crisis at the same time – political, economic, good governance and nation-building.

Never before has the country been inundated by such twin mega scandals – the RM2.6 billion “donation” and RM50 billion 1MDB – which have become the subject of investigations by at least seven foreign countries, viz. United Kingdom, Switzerland, Abu Dhabi, Singapore, Hong Kong, Australia and the United States.

Never before have national and international confidence in the Prime Minister and the government been so low, affecting not only the credibility but also the legitimacy of the Prime Minister and government.

More and more, the central issue emerging in the country is not whether to save an individual even if he is the Prime Minister or a political party even though it had been the backbone of the ruling coalition for the past 58 years since Merdeka in 1957, but how to save Malaysia from becoming a rogue and failed state where there is a complete breakdown of the rule of law and collapse of the good governance, parliamentary democracy and integrity in public life.

This is  the task that must be faced by the three million UMNO members and 21,000 UMNO branches – whether they could  rise to the challenge of the times – to place “Save the country” as the top national agenda when the UMNO President and the UMNO leadership have lost their national purpose and bearings.

Najib’s RM2.6 billion “donation” and RM50 billion 1MDB twin mega scandals pose critical tests to the three million UMNO members and the 21,000 UMNO Branches whether when things come to the crunch and  forced to choose between saving a political party or saving the country, they are prepared to put national interests above all communal, party or even individual interests.

The UMNO 300 chieftains who controlled the keys of power at various levels of UMNO leadership have no  problems or compunction in blindly defending Najib’s twin mega-financial scandal but this opportunistic option is not open to the three million UMNO members and the 21,000 UMNO branches as they have to face the questioning public with a chorus of questions like: From where Najib’s RM2.6 billion “donation” came from and to whom this astronomical sum of money have gone to!

Pakatan Harapan parties of DAP, PKR and AMANAH are prepared to work with the three million UMNO members and 21,000 UMNO branches to “save the country” from becoming a rogue and failed state.

Thanks to my six-month suspension from Parliament, not because I had committed any crime or parliamentary mischief as all I wanted was to pursue the question in every Malaysian’s mind: “Mana RM2.6 billion?”, I have been able to visit four parliamentary constituencies of  Alor Setar, Baling, Padang Serai and Jerai today to explain the major issues and challenges facing the country.

This will become part of the Pakatan Harapan’s campaign to capture Kedah state in the 14th General Election, which is  part of the larger national campaign for Pakatan Harapan to replace the UMNO/BN coalition in Putrajaya.

I will spend more time in Kedah in the coming months, and hope that before my six-month suspension from Parliament is up, to visit all the 15 Parliamentary constiutencies in Kedah with  the message that the time for a change of Federal Government is long overdue after six decades of corruption and abuses of power by the UMNO/BN coalition.

(Speech at the ceramah in conjunction with launching of Jerai Parti Amanah Negara  in Gua Cempadak on Thursday, 26th November 2015 at 11 pm)

                This entry was posted on Friday, 27 November 2015, 12:50 pm and is filed under
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At last, despite his advanced years  even Mahathir is learning the basic principle of a developed democratic system that a two-coalition system better than any one-party rule

I have been involved in Malaysian politics for 50 years since the end of November 1965 not to “cari makan” for myself, as mentioned by the new Chairman of the Public Accounts Committee Datuk Hasan Arifin, but to join forces with like-minded Malaysians to achieve an united, harmonious, democratic, just and prosperous  nation which can a model and showcase to the world of a successful  multi-racial, multi-religious, multi-cultural and multi-lingual nation-building.

There are three episodes which highlight the ups-and-downs and  the trials and tribulations of this 50-year political struggle for democracy, justice and an united Malaysian nation.

Firstly, there was an occasion in the seventies when a powerful UMNO Minister  stood up in Parliament to interrupt my speech on the political, economic, good governance and nation-building failures of the UMNO-led government and told me haughtily  that if I did not like Umno/BN  government policies, I could leave the country to a foreign land.  Without hesitation, I immediately responded by telling this Minister that if he did not like to hear what I had said, which represented the voice of the electorate who had elected me into Parliament, he could leave the country himself!  That shut him up. A lesson in democracy as well as in Malaysian nation-building.

The second episode happened in Parliament early this month, when an UMNO Member of Parliament told DAP MP for Kota Kinabalu, Jimmy Wong, to ”balik tongsan” or to “return to mainland China”.

It is shocking proof that after 58 years of nation-building, there are still narrow-minded, extremist and intolerant mindsets in the country completely at odds with the inclusive 1Malaysia Policy which continue regard Malaysians as Malays, Chinese, Indians, Ibans and Kadazans instead of a new national identity of Malaysians who, despite their ethnic and religious differences, share a common overarching national identity and consciousness.

It is not possible within 58 years to make everyone a Malaysian “first and last”, as this must continue to be “a work in progress”, but those who espouse  narrow-minded, extremist and intolerant racial and religious attitudes are not qualified to be elected as Ministers or Members of Parliament for they would have violated their oath as a Member of Parliament “to bear true faith and allegiance to Malaysia” and to “preserve, protect and defend the Constitution”.

It is time that these narrow-minded, extremist and intolerant elements learn that “tongsan” for Malaysians, regardless of race or religion, is Malaysia itself not not mainland China, Indian sub-continent or any other foreign land!

The third episode refers to the realisation by the former Prime Minister Tun Dr. Mahathir that no party should rule forever  and that “the best way is for the country to have two political parties; this would ensure that one or the other would win a majority to form the government”.

This is a far cry from his earlier statement that he was only interested in getting the Prime Minister, Datuk Seri Najib Razak, replaced.

At last, despite his advanced years  even Mahathir is learning the basic principles of a developed democratic system that a two-coalition system better than any one-party rule.

This is the dilemma faced by all Malaysians, the need for a new mindset when they are confronted with the gravity of the multitude of national crisis plaguing the country – that the issue is  not whether to save an individual even if he is the Prime Minister or a political party even though it had been the backbone of the ruling coalition for the past 58 years since Merdeka in 1957, but how to save Malaysia from becoming a rogue and failed state where there is a  breakdown of the rule of law and collapse of the good governance and the principles of accountability, transparency and integrity in public life – and when UMNO leaders have lost the national purpose and perspective.

I have just read an online news report of a group of UMNO branch leaders, calling itself “Gabungan Ketua Cawangan Malaysia” or “Coalition of Branch Chiefs Malaysia” (GKCM) demanding Najib’s resignation to resolve the party’s problems, with three objectives:

*First, the Umno president must step down.

*Second, there should be no sacking of Umno members who criticise or condemn leaders to improve them.

*Third, the Umno elections must go on.

Najib’s RM2.6 billion “donation” and the RM50 billion 1MDB twin mega scandals as well as  his other policy disasters like the GST are the fuel causing such a revolt in UMNO.

The GRCM and  Mahathir’s belated realisation that the two-coalition political system which Pakatan Harapan – comprising DAP, PKR and Parti AMANAH –  is seeking to achieve in 14GE are important building blocks for a functioning and effective democracy and not anti-national efforts constitute  salutary developments in Malaysian politics.

However, it is still premature to determine whether these new political forces and developments can shake Najib’s iron grip and control of UMNO structure and institutions although Malaysia is heading towards very stormy waters in unchartered seas.

[Speech (2) at the “Solidarity with Lim Kit Siang & Mana RM2.6 billion” kopitiam ceramah in Senai on Saturday, 28th November 2015 at 9 am]

                This entry was posted on Saturday, 28 November 2015, 12:47 pm and is filed under
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Kulai is the 28th Parliamentary and Senai the 30th State Assembly constituency I am visiting in the “Solidarity with Lim Kit Siang & Mana RM2.6 billion?” nation-wide campaign since my six-month suspension from Parliament

I thank the people of Senai State Assembly constituency in Kulai parliamentary seat for their support this morning.

Kulai is the 28th Parliamentary and Senai the 30th State Assembly constituency I am visiting in the “Solidarity with Lim Kit Siang & Mana RM2.6 billion?” nation-wide campaign since my six-month suspension from Parliament on Oct. 22 – not because I had stolen, robbed or killed anyone, but because as elected representatives, we have the right and obligation to speak up in Parliament and the State Assemblies without fear or favour to articulate the concerns of Malaysians.

Undoubtedly today, one of the greatest concerns in everyone’s minds, even to the Malay Rulers who issued a rare joint statement on the 1MDB scandal on Oct. 6, are the two questions:  where the RM2.6 billion “donation” in Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak personal banking accounts came from, and where they have gone to.

I was suspended a day before Najib presented his 2016 Budget in Parliament on Oct 23, and after a nine-day debate, the policy stage of the 2016 Budget was passed in the second reading of the Bill on Nov. 16 with a vote of 128 against 74.

The third reading of the 2016 Budget Bill will be passed next week, the last week of the current 25-day parliamentary budget meeting, after debate on the committee stage for the various Ministries.

However, Najib did not give a word of explanation for his RM2.6 billion “donation” and RM50 billion 1MDB twin mega-scandals in his Budget 2016 speech, nor was Parliament or the nation given any accounting by the Najib government on the twin mega scandals whether during the 2016 Budget policy debate before the second reading on Nov. 16 or during the committee debates up to now.

This is a totally unacceptable and irresponsible government behaviour, not only against all principles of democracy and good governance but in violation of all basic notions of an accountable and transparent government.

However, Najib’s RM2.6 billion “donation” and RM50 billion 1MDB scandal twin mega scandals are not going to go away and disappear just because Najib and his Ministers behave like ostriches burying their heads in the sand. In fact, the twin mega scandals are continuing  to  mushroom to be become greater  in magnitude and scale with every passing day, week and month, and the latest is the controversy over the murder of Deputy Public Prosecutor Kevin Morais in September.

In the nation’s 58-year history, the country has not produced a financial scandal which is being independently investigated by at least seven other countries – the United Kingdom, Switzerland, Abu Dhabi, Singapore, Hong Kong, Australia and United States – but under Najib’s premiership, we have produced two such financial scandals.

Under Najib, we have also produced the first Prime Minister who is being investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigations (FBI) and the United States Department of Justice (DOJ) whether he is a kleptocrat whose “ill-gotten gains” in the United States could be confiscated by the US authorities!

Najib’s twin mega scandals are issues which every Malaysian have a right to know the true story.

Let ordinary Malaysians, regardless of race, religion, region or even politics, send a clear message to Najib and his government that they can suspend one Lim Kit Siang in Parliament, but  tens and hundreds of thousands and even millions of Malaysians will rise up and declare “I am also Lim Kit Siang” to ask the same question: “Mana RM2.6 billion?”

The injustice of my  six-month suspension from Parliament should focus the whole country on one question – that  the  challenge the country is confronted with is  not whether to save an individual even if he is the Prime Minister or a political party even though it had been the backbone of the ruling coalition for the past 58 years since Merdeka in 1957, but how to save Malaysia from becoming a rogue and failed state where there is a complete breakdown of the rule of law and collapse of the good governance and the principles of accountability, transparency and integrity in public life resulting in the nation’s economic decline.

It is not just the country as a whole, but even the three million UMNO members and 21,000 UMNO branches who have to take a stand on Najib’s twin mega scandals – whether they could  place “Save the country” as the top national agenda when the UMNO President and the UMNO leadership have lost their national purpose and bearings.

The UMNO 300 chieftains who controlled the keys of power at various levels of UMNO leadership have no problems or compunction in blindly defending Najib’s twin mega-financial scandal but this opportunistic option is not open to the three million UMNO members and the 21,000 UMNO branches as they have to face the questioning public with a chorus of questions like: From where Najib’s RM2.6 billion “donation” came from and to whom this astronomical sum of money have gone to!

Pakatan Harapan parties of DAP, PKR and AMANAH are prepared to work with the three million UMNO members and 21,000 UMNO branches to “save the country” from becoming a rogue and failed state.

Two days ago, I visited four Parliamentary constituencies in Kedah, Alor Setar, Baling, Padang Serai and Jerai.

The previous week, I was in Sabah and visited six Parliamentary constituencies – Tenom, Keningau, Kudat, Tuaran, Kota Kinabalu and Batu Sapi.

I have visited four parliamentary constituencies in Selangor, viz Serdang, Hulu Langat, Gombak and Ampang.

In Johore, I have visited seven parliamentary constituencies, viz: Gelang Patah, Johor Bahru, Pasir Gudang, Bakri, Batu Pahat, Sri Gading and Ayer Hitam.

Although it will not be possible for me to visit all the 222 Parliamentary and 576 State Assembly constituencies in the country during the period of my six-month suspension from Parliament, I will try to visit more than 50 per cent of the 222 Parliamentary constituencies in the country by the time I am allowed to return to Parliament – with a strong and unmistakable mandate from Malaysians from all over the country, embracing all races, religions and regions in the country, to demand that Najib must fully account for the twin mega scandals.

But for Johor, as it is now the front-line state for political change in the run-up to the 14th General Election, where Pakatan Harapan hopes to win the Johor State Government as well as provide important support for the Malaysian battle of Pakatan Harapan to win Putrajaya, I will try to visit all the 26 Parliamentary and 56 State Assembly seats in Johore before the end of my six-month suspension from Parliament.

(Speech at the “Solidarity with Lim Kit Siang & Mana RM2.6 billion?” kopitiam ceramah in Senai on Saturday, 28th November 2015 at 9 am)

                This entry was posted on Saturday, 28 November 2015, 8:38 am and is filed under
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Even MCA Ministers and leaders have forgotten the national contributions of past MCA Presidents like Tun Tan Siew Sin

MCA leaders are protesting that MCA’s contributions to nation-building like the formation of Malaysia had been sidelined in history textbooks.

MCA Deputy President and Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department, Datuk Seri Dr. Wee Ka Siong complained about the case in the SJKC Year Six history textbook where  MCA’s contribution towards the formation of Malaysia, in particular that of  late  Wong Pow Nee, the first Chief Minister of Penang,  was not mentioned at all  despite the his contribution  as a member of the Cobbold Commission which recommended positively on the establishment of Malaysia in 1963.

Page 10 and 11 of the textbook showed various Malaysian leaders like UMNO’s  Tunku Abdul Rahman and  Tun Razak, two leaders from Sabah namely Tun Fuad and Tun Mustapha and three from Sarawak, Stephen Kalong Ningkan, Temenggong Jugah and  Ong Kee Hui, and even Singapore’s Lee Kuan Yew, as “founders” of Malaysia but no mention of any MCA leader.

There was not only no mention of Wong Pow Nee, but also omission of the MCA President Tun Tan Siew Sin.

But Wee only complained about the omission of Wong Pow Nee but not about the omission of Tan Siew Sin – which shows that the present batch of MCA leaders including those who have become Ministers have forgotten the contributions of past MCA Presidents like Tun Tan Siew Sin.

How can Wee and the MCA leaders complain that the services of past MCA leaders had been sidelined or forgotten when they themselves have sidelined or forgotten the contributions of past MCA Presidents like Tun Tan Siew Sin?

The SJKC Year Six history textbook prepared under the auspices of the Education Ministry provides another  vivid illustration of how serious is the rot of the education system  six decades after Merdeka, and how ridiculous and outrageous are government claims that the Malaysian education system is not only world-class but better than the education systems in UK, Germany and the United States.

In the SJKC Year Six history textbook, the state of Malacca had been shifted to the north of the country, near Kelantan.

The Education Ministry have very creative people who can do impossible things like moving Malaysian states all over the map, but  this unfortunately  reflects very poorly on the low standards of educational attainment and excellence of textbook writers and those in the Education Ministry supervising the preparation of textbooks.

What has the Education Minister Datuk Mahdzir Khalid got to say about such shocking educational standards in his Ministry?

(Speech at the DAP “Solidarity with Lim Kit Siang & Mana RM2.6 billion?” kopitiam ceramah in Kota Tinggi on Saturday, November 28, 2015 at 4 pm)

                This entry was posted on Sunday, 29 November 2015, 4:47 pm and is filed under
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Malaysians can now hope again for political change in next general election after the roller-coaster ride of high hopes and virtual despair in the two years since the 13th GE

Endau made history tonight, firstly, with Endau joining the national mainstream of Malaysians demanding that the Prime Minister, Datuk Seri Najib Razak must answer the question uppermost in everyone’s mind, regardless of race, religion, region (whether urban or rural areas, whether in Peninsular Malaysia, Sabah or Sarawak) or even party politics.

Secondly, the establishment of the protem committee of the new DAP branch in Endau and the strong presence of Parti Amanah Negara which is in the process of forming a branch in Endau – and I welcome in particular the four AMANAH and Pakatan Harapan stalwarts who are here tonight: Professor Madya Dr. Sulaiman Mohd Nor, representing the Johor AMANAH Chairman; IR Hj Khairudin Abdul Rahim, Johor AMANAH Secretary; Prof. Madya Hj Hamidon Musa representing Pakatan Harapan Mersing and Sdr. Fadli Ramli of Rompin Pakatan Harapan.

Mersing (with the two State Assembly seats of Endau and Tenggaroh) is the 30th Parliamentary constituency I am visiting since my outrageous suspension from Parliament on Oct. 22 to spread the word that Najib can suspend one Lim Kit Siang from Parliament for six months, but this will only seed tens and hundreds of thousands, even millions of Malaysians, regardless of race, religion, region or politics, to stand up to declare that they are also Lim Kit Siang in demanding full accounting of “Mana RM2.6 billion?” and the RM50 billion 1MDB twin mega scandals.

The 28th and 29th Parliamentary constituencies I visited today are Kulai this morning and Kota Tinggi this evening.

In Johor, I have visited ten of the 26 parliamentary constituencies, viz: Gelang Patah, Johor Bahru, Pasir Gudang, Bakri, Batu Pahat, Sri Gading, Ayer Hitam, Kulai, Kota Tinggi and Mersing.

Although it will not be possible for me to visit all the 222 Parliamentary and 576 State Assembly constituencies in the country durng the period of my six-month suspension from Parliament, I will try to visit more than 50 per cent of the 222 Parliamentary constituencies in the country by the time I am allowed to return to Parliament – with a strong and unmistakable mandate from Malaysians from all over the country, embracing all races, religions and regions in the country, to demand that Najib must fully account for the twin mega scandals.

But for Johor, as it is now the front-line state for political change in the run-up to the 14th General Elections, where Pakatan Harapan hopes to win the Johor State Government as well as provide important support for the Malaysian battle of Pakatan Harapan to win Putrajaya, I will try to visit all the 26 Parliamentary and 56 State Assembly seats in Johore.

Malaysians can now hope again for political change in next general election after the roller-coaster ride of high hopes and virtual despair in the two years since the 13th GE in May 2013.

The 13GE in May 2013 was the highest water-mark of hopes of Malaysians for political change and the end of UMNO rule since Merdeka in 1957 and the beginning of a new Pakatan Rakyat Federal Government with a new Prime Minister, Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim.

Although Pakatan Rakyat comprising DAP, PKR and PAS won the majority of 53% of the popular votes, Najib continued as the first minority Prime Minister when the UMNO/BN coalition won 60 per cent of the parliamentary seats with only 47% of the popular votes.

The two years after the nation-wide disappointment at missing the opportunity for political change in Putrajaya on 13GE Polling Day on 5th May 3013 because of gerrymandering and unfair, unjust and undemocratic redelineation of parliamentary constituencies can be likened to a roller-coaster ride by Malaysians of high hopes for political change and virtual despair that such political change is possible because of an increasingly divided Pakatan Rakyat.

After the 13 general election, Pakatan Rakyat existed only in name – as PAS decided to renege on its commitment to adhere to the Pakatan Rakyat Common Policy Framework as well as the Pakatan Rakyat operational principle of consensus.

In retrospect, if Pakatan Rakyat had captured the majority of the parliamentary seats and the mandate to form the Federal Government in Putrajaya in the 13th General Election, Pakatan Rakyat would have been confronted with it first crisis even before the Pakatan Rakyat Federal Government was formed, as the PAS President had refused to accept Anwar Ibrahim as the Prime Minister candidate.

With the history of the PAS President refusing not only to accept Anwar as the Prime Minister of Malaysia, but also the PKR President Datuk Seri Dr. Wan Azizah Wan Ismail as the Mentri Besar of Selangor, as well as his decision to renege from th PR Common Policy Framework particularly on the hudud and local government election issues, what is the basis to hope that there could be a revival of Pakatan Rakyat co-operation and unity?

There is no doubt that Malaysians who had rooted for political change in the 13GE went into the deepest and darkest despair at the demise of Pakatan Rakyat, for they see the hopes of political change being destroyed completely, at a time when the UMNO/BN government has proved to be such a national liability and disaster.

The formation of Parti Amanah Negara and establishment of Pakatan Harapan comprising DAP, PKR and AMANAH have however saved the political situation, filling the political vacuum and void caused by despair and seeming hopelessness for political change, with the country inundated by so many political, economic, good governance and nation-building scandals under the Najib premiership.

With the vigorous and vibrant advent of Parti Amanah Negara and Pakatan Harapan, Malaysians can dare to hope again that the goal of political change is still possible and achievable in thde 14th General Election.

This is the goal all parties in Pakatan Harapan must work on with a single-minded zeal and purpose.

It is most unfortunate that PAS has decided to condemn itself to being a regional party again.

Prior to the 2008 general elections, PAS’s electoral strength was mostly in the four northern states of Perlis, Kedah, Kelantan and Terengganu.

Even at the height of its electoral performance in the 1999 general elections where it won 27 parliament seats, only two or 7% were won outside the northern states (both in Perak).

This changed in 2008 when PAS made a breakthrough by winning seven out of its 23 parliament seats (30%) outside the northern states including winning parliament seats for the first time in Selangor and Wilayah Persekutuan. This percentage was increased to 33% (7 out of 21 parliament seats) in the 2013 general elections (See Tables 1 and 2 below):

Table 1: Total number of parliament seats won by PAS from 1959 to 2013

(Only for Peninsular Malaysia seats)

Year

Parliament Contested

Won

States

1959

58

13

9 Ktan, 4 Tgganu

1964

53

9

8 Ktan, 1 Tgganu

1969

59

12

6 Ktan, 3 Kedah, 2 Tgganu, 1 Perak

1974

PAS in BN

1978

89

5

2 Ktan, 2 Kedah, 1 Penang

1982

81

5

4 Ktan, 1 Kedah

1986

87

1

1 Ktan

1990

28

7

6 Ktan, 1 Tgganu

1995

45

7

6 Ktan, 1 Tgganu

1999

59

27

8 Kedah, 10 Ktan, 7 Tgganu, 2 Perak

2004

83

6

1 Kedah, 5 Ktan

2008

65

23

6 Kedah, 9 Ktan, 1 Tgganu, 2 Perak, 4 Sgor, 1 WPKL

2013

65

21

1 Kedah, 9 Ktan, 4 Tgganu, 2 Perak, 1 Pahang, 4 Sgor

Table 2: Number & % of parliament seats won by PAS from 1959 to 2013 in non-Northern states

Year

Parliament Contested

Won

States

% Non Northern

1959

32

0

0%

1964

23

0

0%

1969

29

1

Parit in Perak

8%

1974

PAS in BN

NA

1978

55

1

Permatang Pauh in Penang

20%

1982

47

0

0%

1986

51

0

0%

1990

11

0

0%

1995

24

0

0%

1999

29

2

Parit Buntar & Parit in Perak

7%

2004

52

0

0%

2008

38

7

2 Perak, 4 Sgor, 1 WPKL

30%

2013

36

7

2 Perak, 1 Pahang, 4 Sgor

33%

PAS’ performance in the state seats also shows a similar trend.

Prior to 2008, PAS’ best record in winning state seats outside the northern states was 14 (out of 98 or 14%) in the 1999 general elections. (The 20% of seats in the non-northern states in 1978 was because of the record low of 10 state seats won by PAS in that general election)

In 2008, the number and percentage of non-northern seats increased to 20 and 24% respectively. As a result of winning a record number of state seats in Perak (6) and Selangor (8), PAS was able to form the state governments in both of these states together with PKR and DAP.

What many people may not have realized is that PAS actually increased the number of state seats won from 83 in 2008 to 85 in 2013 and this increase was from the non-northern states.

In fact, PAS’s non-northern state seats increased from 20 out of 83 in 2008 (or 24%) to 29 out of 85 (or 34%). This was helped by PAS historic performance of winning 15 state seats in Selangor (from 8 in 2008) and also making a breakthrough by winning one seat in Melaka and by winning state seats in Johor (from two in 2008). (See Tables 3 and 4 below)

Table 3: Total number of state seats won by PAS from 1959 to 2013

Year

DUN Contested

Won

States

1959

200

42

28 Ktan, 13 Tgganu

1964

158

25

21 Ktan, 3 Tgganu, 1 Perlis

1969

185

40

19 Ktan, 11 Tgganu, 8 Kedah, 1 Perlis

1974

PAS in BN

1978

240

10

7 Kedah, 1 Ktan, 1 Penang, 1 Perak

1982

222

16

8 Ktan, 6 Tgganu, 2 Kedah

1986

262

15

3 Kedah, 10 Ktan, 2 Tgganu

1990

119

35

1 Kedah, 26 Ktan, 8 Tgganu

1995

200

33

2 Kedah, 24 Ktan, 7 Tgganu

1999

239

98

3 Perlis, 12 Kedah, 41 Ktan, 28 Tgganu, 1 Penang, 3 Perak, 6 Pahang, 4 Sgor

2004

258

35

1 Perlis, 4 Kedah, 24 Ktan, 4 Tgganu, 1 Penang, 1 Johor

2008

229

83

1 Perlis, 16 Kedah, 38 Ktan, 8 Tgganu, 1 Penang, 6 Perak, 2 Pahang, 8 Sgor, 1 NS, 2 Johor

2013

224

85

1 Perlis, 9 Kedah, 32 Ktan, 14 Tgganu, 1 Penang, 5 Perak, 3 Pahang, 15 Sgor, 1 Melaka, 4 Johor

Table 4: Number & % of state seats won by PAS from 1959 to 2013 in non-Northern states

Year

DUN Contested

Won

States

% Non Northern

1959

113

1

Gunong Semanggol in Perak

2%

1964

73

0

0%

1969

95

1

Kampung Gajah in Perak

3%

1974

PAS in BN

NA

1978

145

2

Sungai Dua in Permatang Pauh and Kuala Krau in Parit Buntar

20%

1982

124

0

0%

1986

152

0

0%

1990

48

0

0%

1995

110

0

0%

1999

120

14

1 Penang, 3 Perak, 6 Pahang, 4 Sgor

14%

2004

145

2

1 Penang, 1 Johor (uncontested)

6%

2008

127

20

1 Penang, 6 Perak, 2 Pahang, 8 Sgor, 1 NS, 2 Johor

24%

2013

124

29

1 Penang, 5 Perak, 3 Pahang, 15 Sgor, 1 Melaka, 4 Johor

34%

Unfortunately, PAS has most likely condemned itself to going back to being a northern- focused party after the next general election.

Even without the formation of AMANAH, PAS would have found it hard to retain the seven non-northern parliament seats it won. Out of these seven seats, PAS only managed to win the majority of Malay support in one seat (Parit Buntar). With the high likelihood of non-Malay voters abandoning PAS in large numbers in the next general election, these seats would most likely have been lost by PAS, even if it was a straight fight against UMNO.

This scenario would have been repeated in the state seats. Of the 29 non-northern state seats won by PAS in GE2013, 23 were won with less than 50% of the Malay support including 14 out of 15 state seats in Selangor. With the expected fall in PAS support among non-Malay voters, most of these 23 state seats would be lost by PAS even without the presence of AMANAH.

The position taken by PAS to sever ties with the DAP and re-emphasizing hudud as a policy to be implemented in the present time, including its new policy position of co-operating with UMNO, have wasted the many years of efforts put in by the progressive leaders who were formerly in PAS. The trust in PAS among non-Malay voters, which took many decades to build up, has effectively been wiped out by the current PAS leadership led by Hadi Awang.

Furthermore, the unwillingness by the top PAS leadership to vote against Najib’s budget and to give conflicting signals about its intentions to work with UMNO will further alienate its standing among non-Malay and even among some Malay voters.

It would not be surprising if voters in the four northern states, the majority of whom are Malay, voting against PAS in the next GE as a result of its flip-flop position vis-à-vis UMNO and PM Najib in a context when Najib and his administration are becoming more and more unpopular by the day, even among Malay voters and UMNO members.

The dilemma that PAS is facing today is best captured by the boast by the Kelantan UMNO Chairman Datuk Seri Mustapha Mohamed at the UMNO Convention 2015 today that Kelantan UMNO is confident that it will wrest the state from PAS in the 14th General Election.

Can PAS reach an understanding with UMNO to allow PAS to continue to rule in Kelantan?

These are the troubled political waters Pakatan Harapan must negotiate if the end of UMNO/BN rule to save Malaysia from rampant corruption and unchecked and widespread socio-economic injustices is to be achieved in the 14GE – which will greatly test the wisdom of DAP, PKR and AMANAH leaders.

[
Speech by DAP Parliamentary Leader and MP for Gelang Patah Lim Kit Siang at the Endau “Solidarity with Lim Kit Siang & Mana RM2.6 billion?” dinner at Dewan Chi Ru Kok, Endau on Saturday, 28th November 2015 at 10 pm
]

                This entry was posted on Sunday, 29 November 2015, 7:56 am and is filed under
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Nurul Izzah’s fate is sealed when Najib spoke in Pekan  to condemn her action as an “offensive act”

PKR Vice President and MP for Lembah Pantai Nurul Izzah Anwar’s fate is sealed when the Prime Minister, Datuk Seri Najib Razak  spoke in Pekan today to condemn her action as an offensive act and likened it to “a disrespect to the security forces’ struggle to defend the country, for which 10 of them were killed” in the Lahad Datuk intrusion by Sulu terrorist two years ago.

In the eye of the national and international storm over the RM2.6 billion “donation” and RM50 billion 1MDB  twin mega scandals for the past few months, Najib has nothing to offer to end these two scandals which have wreaked many times more damage to Malaysia’s national and international reputation than Nurul’s visit to Manila, but Najib  has been  comparatively   quick to pass judgment on Nurul.

I agree with PKR President and Parliamentary Opposition Leader, Datuk Seri Dr. Wan Azizah Wan Ismail that Nurul had intended no slight to Sabahans or the security personnel who perished in the Lahad Datuk intrusion, and her act could not by any stretch of imagination be categorized as consorting with the nation’s enemies or as an act of disloyalty or treachery.

Unfortunately, the incident had been overblown to serve the political interests of Najib and the UMNO/BN Government which are desperately looking for issues to distract public attention from the buckets of political and economic scandals plaguing the Najib government.

Najib’s comment in Pekan will be used as authority by the Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department, Datuk Azalina  Othman Said to  force UMNO/BN MPs to vote for her parliamentary motion to refer Nurul to the Parliamentary Committee of Privileges, although Azalina’s motion is a gross abuse of parliamentary process and practices.

Firstly, it does not comply with the requisite requirement of seven-day notice for Ministerial motions to be placed on the Order Paper.

Secondly, there could be no conceivable “public interest” to enable the Speaker to exempt the seven-day requirement for Ministerial motions.

The Speaker Tan Sri Pandikar Amin Mulia should explain whether the “public interest” that Azalina had pleaded to justify her motion being exempted from the requisite seven-day notice for Ministerial motions is merely Pandikar’s quid pro quo to Azalina for the Minister’s earlielr agreement to move a  privileges motion to suspend me from Parliament for six months?

Thirdly, the text of the motion is most improper and unparliamentary. Although

couched in the form of a reference of Nurul to the Committee of Privileges, the motion denies freedom of inquiry and finding by the Committee of Privileges as it constitutes a conviction that Nurul is guilty of the charges made by Azalina. All that the Privileges Committee could do is to suggest the penalty.

Fourthly,  it is an oppressive and dangerous precedent to condemn an MP for violating the oath of office as a Member of Parliament “to bear true faith and allegiance to Malaysia” and to “preserve, protect and defend the Constitution” on the flimsiest of grounds, not based on the facts of the case but on whether a majority vote in Parliament could be summoned in favour of the motion.

Which is more traitorous and subversive of the Constitution – Nurul’s innocent folly for being photographed with Jacel Karim or the Prime Minister, Datuk Seri Najib Razak being photographed having a handshake with  the Israeli Prime Minister, Benjamin Netanyahu in the United Nations recently?

Furthermore, which is more traitorous and subversive of the nation – Nurul’s innocent meeting with Jacel Karim or deeds which damaged Malaysia’s good name and standing in  international scandal because of unprecedented mega financial scandals?

Fifthly, why was Azalina’s motion given priority over the substantive motion moved by the DAP MP for Puchong, Gobind Singh Deo to review the Speaker’s ruling which resulted in my six-month suspension from Parliament, when Gobind’s substantive motion only required two days’ notice under the Parliamentary Standing Orders.

UMNO/BN Ministers and propagandists have wrung enough political capital from Nurul’s visit to Manila and her being photographed with Jacel.

I hope good sense will prevail and Azalina will withdraw her motion against Nurul when Parliament meets for the last week beginning tomorrow.

                This entry was posted on Sunday, 29 November 2015, 6:48 pm and is filed under
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Despatching UMNO to Opposition benches in 14GE will be doing both UMNO and nation a great favour as it will not only promote healthy growth and development of democracy in Malaysia but will  give UMNO the chance for reform and regeneration

Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi visited Malaysia last week, in the company of other ASEAN, Asian and Pacific leaders like President Xi Jingping of China, President Barack Obama of the United States, Prime Minister Shinzo Abe of Japan, President Joko Widodo of Indonesia and  Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull of Australia for the ASEAN and Post-ASEAN Summits.

Modi is the fifth Prime Minister of India resulting from a change of government through  the ballot box in a general election.

The first time India had a change of government through the ballot box was in the sixth Indian general election in 1977  when the Indian Congress which had ruled India for 30 years was voted out of office, replaced by an Opposition coalition headed by Morarji Desai of Janata party.

Indian Congress under Indira Gandhi won back federal power in the seventh Indian general election in 1980 but BJP (Bharatiya Janata Party) leading an Opposition coalition  captured New Delhi in the 11th to 13th Indian General Elections from 1996 – 1999.

Indian Congress leading a coalition of parties  won back the Indian Federal Government in the 14th and 15th General Elections in 2004 and 2008  under Manmohan Singh as  Prime Minister.

The last change of government through the ballot box was in the 16th Indian General Election in 2014 with Narendra Modi as Prime Minister.

This means that in 63 years in sixteen General Elections, there had been five changes of government  between the Indian Congress and Opposition coalitions.

In comparison, Malaysia has held 13 General Elections in  56 years but there has not been a single change of Federal Government in Putrajaya form the UMNO-led coalition, which makes Malaysian democracy as a most abnormal one.

Malaysia cannot claim to be a normal democracy unless it is possible to achieve a change of power through the ballot box. In fact, a well-known scholar has advanced the  “two turnover test” for a functioning democracy, i.e. to pass this test, political power must peacefully change hands to the opposition, and back again, as such a test establishes that the political elites are willing to abide by the “rules of the game”.

Are Najib and UMNO prepared to abide by the “rules of the game” and accept their place in the Opposition if the voters in the 14 general election decide that Pakatan Harapan should form the Federal Government in Putrajaya?

Up to now, UMNO leaders have been quite ambivalent on this question, as they had been breathing fire and brimstone and warning of the apocalypse if UMNO loses power.

The recent statement by former Prime Minister Tun Dr. Mahathir that no party should rule forever in a democratic country is a belated but salutary acknowledgement of the importance of having a two-coalition system, where power can be transferred in a peaceful transition through the ballot box.

Mahathir’s meaning cannot be clearer with his later statement that UMNO has degenerated into a party merely belonging to Prime Minister, Datuk Seri Najib Razak in his utter disregard of the voices not only of  dissenting UMNO stalwarts, but the three million UMNO members and 21,000 UMNO branches.

For these reasons, despatching UMNO to the Opposition benches in the 14GE will be doing both UMNO and nation a great favour as it will not only promote healthy growth and development of democracy in Malaysia, it will also give UMNO a chance for reform and regeneration.

DAP Negri Sembilan State Chairman and DAP National Organising Secretary, Anthony Loke tells me that in the 13th General Election, Pakatan Rakyat won 48% of the votes cast in the State Assemblies compared to 52% secured by Barisan Nasional – with PR winning 14 of the 36 State Assembly seats or  five seats short of forming the Negri Sembilan State Government.

The Pakatan Rakyat of DAP, PKR and PAS is now history  because of the refusal of PAS after the 13th General Election to abide by the  Pakatan Rakyat operational principle of consensus and the Pakatan Rakyat Common Policy Framework particularly on the hudud and local government election issues.

In fact, the PAS President even refused to endorse Sdr. Anwar Ibrahim as the PR candidate for Prime Minister of Malaysia and PKR President, Datuk Seri Dr. Wan Azizah Wan Ismail as the Mentri Besar for Selangor.

The future rests with Pakatan Harapan, comprising DAP, PKR and Parti Amanah Negara.

I would urge the Negri Sembilan Pakatan Harapan to seriously and urgently formulate a blueprint to capture the Negri Sembilan State Government in the 14GE and a manifesto for the state, as well as lay out a strategic plan of action for the three parties in Pakatan Harapan to work systematically to achieve this goal.

(Speech at the “Joint Deepavali celebration/Solidarity with Lim Kit Siang/Mana R2.6 billion?” gathering organized by Nilai DAP Branch in Nilai, Negri Sembilan on Sunday, 29th November 2015 at 9 pm)

                This entry was posted on Monday, 30 November 2015, 11:02 am and is filed under
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Najib’s political headache

Arnold Puyok, UNIMAS

East Asia Forum

26 November 2015

These are tiring times for Malaysian Prime Minister Najib Razak. Najib has so far managed to stay in power despite the flurry of attacks on his leadership. Political debacles have almost cost Najib his prime ministership and the popularity of the ruling coalition Barisan Nasional (BN). Facing the prospect of losing the people’s mandate in the 2018 general election, Najib is racing against time to regain public confidence.

Earlier in 2015, an expose revealed a controversial 2.6 billion ringgit (US$700 million) ‘donation’ into Najib’s personal account. This was initially attributed to Najib siphoning funds from the 1Malaysia Development Berhad (1MDB), Malaysia’s state-owned development company. Najib appeared on television to answer questions from critics and gave point-by-point rebuttals to the 1MDB controversy.

But these have failed to assuage public dissatisfaction. Some critics still believe that Najib siphoned public funds from the 1MDB — even though that allegation has not been proven in court or by independent audit firms. Najib is now left with the CEO of the 1MDB Arul Kanda to address the misconception toward the 1MDB and to implement a rationalisation plan in order to reduce its debt.

Najib’s problems do not end there. The 2.6 billion ringgit in his personal account has dented his reputation further, even though the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission has evidence that the money was from a donor, not the 1MDB. Critics are still unhappy as questions such as what the money was for, and whether there were any strings attached, have not been answered.

The person who has launched a major ‘crusade’ to end Najib’s political career is none other than Najib’s predecessor-turned-nemesis Mahathir Mohamad. Mahathir — the ‘PM slayer’, as one author has put it — is the single most potent force behind the campaign to oust Najib. The 90-year-old former premier’s allegations against Najib are not without defect, but many think that Mahathir is telling the truth.

After 22 years of entrenched rule in Malaysia, Mahathir is seen by some as the ‘knight in shining armour’ that could save Malaysia from Najib. Even though the prospect of Mahathir making a comeback is next to impossible, he still has influence in the United Malays National Organisation (UMNO), Mahathir and Najib’s political party. Anti-Najib party members are supporting Mahathir either openly or secretly. While most UMNO divisional leaders are firmly behind Najib, this may change depending on the momentum of the anti-Najib movement in UMNO.

Although he is criticised and mocked on the home front, Najib has scored some brownie points on the international stage. In the aftermath of the MH17 crash in July 2014, Najib negotiated deftly with pro-Russian rebel leaders to allow rescuers to extract bodies and to secure crucial flight information from the crash site in eastern Ukraine.

Najib has to also play a tough balancing act dealing with China and the United States — the two major superpowers arguing over territorial disputes in the South China Sea. Najib has established good ties with both countries by allowing both American and Chinese naval ships to use Malaysian ports for transport or military training purposes.

So, can Najib and the BN survive the general election in 2018? The answer to this question depends on how Najib and the ruling party react to calls for reform. Before attempting to address Malaysia’s domestic impasse, it is important for Najib to exert a stronger and firmer hold on the government, especially the civil service. The civil servants are the key to the success of Najib’s ‘transformation agenda’. But some civil servants are bent on Najib’s downfall. Many sensitive government documents have been leaked on social media and opposition leaders have used them to attack the government.

The BN should learn from Singapore’s People’s Action Party (PAP), which won the 2015 Singapore general election. Its success taught a valuable lesson to incumbent governments around the world about securing electoral victory in the face of growing public disenchantment. The key to winning is to boldly address public concerns by making tough policy decisions. In the 2011 election, the PAP won with a popular vote of only 60 per cent — the lowest it had ever recorded in its 60 years of history. It reacted proactively to public criticism, and changed many of its policy positions on issues such as affordable housing, immigration and economic stagnation. In September, the PAP won the election with 69.9 per cent of the popular vote.

The PAP’s major electoral victory in Singapore shows that a dominant party system is still alive in Southeast Asia. In Malaysia, the BN lost its two-thirds majority in 2008 and 2013. There is a real possibility that its popular support will dip further in the coming election. It is important for Najib and the BN to display some real leadership in addressing people-oriented issues.

Najib should push for good governance and take matters of public interest to heart. The goods and services tax has forced more people to dig deeper into their pockets despite rising prices of essential goods and housing. The most hit economically are young middle-income professionals and graduates. While the 2.6 billion ringgit donation, the 1MDB and Mahathir’s challenge are major headaches for Najib, they will not matter much in determining his and the BN’s future in Malaysian politics.

Arnold Puyok is a senior lecturer at the Faculty of Social Sciences, Universiti Malaysia Sarawak.

                This entry was posted on Monday, 30 November 2015, 9:48 am and is filed under
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Pakatan has failed?

— Steven Sim

Malay Mail Online

Friday November 27, 2015

NOVEMBER 27 — My dear friends,

Forget which Pakatan for now. But let’s talk about the opposition and our coalition for all its worth.

I always say that I see the world in many shades — and really that makes me unsuited for politics. It is much easier to present a monochrome world, an either-or proposition, a yes-or-no question. Simply because these are… simpler.

So that I look at social media today, many people are whacking Pakatan for failing, I feel that there are more shades to the situation than the ones presented.

But I am very well aware that many of these who criticise Pakatan are really our supporters who really want to see us successful. They are not Umno cybertroopers nor are they stupid nor uninformed. No, they are people who had in their own ways contributed so much throughout the last eight years since 2008 to make regime change a reality.

(Of course in the midst of genuine cries of disappointment, there are noise of opportunists who like the classic “batu api” stood by the side prodding us to go on fighting and fanning the fire even more)

Hence, this article is not an attack on such views that Pakatan has failed, but rather an apology. I don’t mean saying sorry, although I may as well include that, but I mean a defence. I want to appeal to our supporters, to consider for a moment the shades of Pakatan’s failures:

When we say Pakatan has failed, let us ask, in which area?

Did we fail to capture the government even after two attempts in 2008 and 2013?

Yes, we have failed.

But with your support, Pakatan not only denied the regime its two third majority, we have won four, no three, no two… I lost count… states in Malaysia, for the first time in our post-Merdeka political history. Pakatan’s popular votes increased, in fact we won 52 per cent of the votes in 2013 and could have been in government but for the gerrymandering and other electoral tactics.

You have managed to put more calibre Members of Parliament in the House who continually engaged in quality debates and discussions whether inside or outside Parliament. And in the state assemblies too.

Because of the better, bigger and stronger opposition, the government is now more effectively checked than ever. We have tabled alternative budgets and policy proposals, some of which have been adopted by the government. On the other hand, government policy and spending are scrutinised, even if we cannot change a thing, at least many more issues are surfacing – along with proposed solutions from the opposition. Ultimately the government has indeed been pressured to correct some of its wrongs.

Did we really fail in this sense?

Did we fail to deliver good governance in Penang and Selangor and improve the two states?

I think the results are there for everyone to judge. Take Penang for example, basically because I am from Penang, 20-odd years ago, we were called Darul Sampah by someone no-less than former Prime Minister Dr Mahathir himself.

The city centre was in ruin, no one was going into the city, Komtar lost its shine, the beaches were dirty, no one as going to the beach. Today everything changed. Heck, we are top ten on many a “must-see, must-go, must-eat” billboard charts around the world. The latest being No 4 on Lonely Planet’s “Top Ten Cities for Travel.”

Through good governance, we managed to maintain a surplus budget, generate growth, jobs and prosperity. We are able to create a more equitable society through various welfare programmes, through gender equality policy, through state education programmes — some of these were eventually duplicated at the federal level and in other states. Our improved gini coefficient, 12 per cent between 2009 and 2012, is the proof. Even our public toilets literally smell better – and no this is not propaganda, the state embarked on a “Penang Clean Toilet Campaign” in 2012.

All these, one must remember comes from running a state government which has less access to resources than Universiti Sains Malaysia, sometimes running on a budget as much as three times smaller than the varsity!

Where else but in Penang you get a smart app which enables you to complaint, enquire, report, interact, criticise and whack the local councils 24/7? Yes, do it with your phone on your bed in your pyjamas. And they usually respond within 24 hours! Don’t take my words for it, go check it out yourself at www.cat.betterpg.com.

In Penang, only in Penang, the people get to vote on how their money should be spent! Our gender and participatory budgeting (GRPB) project has been implemented since 2011 with pilot programmes in two social housing schemes, one on each side of the strait. In my own constituency Bukit Mertajam, since July this year, we have embarked on project where 30,000 Machang Bubok voters will get to vote on how they want their state constituency fund to be used next year.

Yes, we can do much much more, but have we failed so far?

Did we fail to maintain unity in the coalition?

This is tricky.

Yes we are in a disarray. That’s a fact. DAP and PAS once so much in love when Tuan Guru Nik Aziz was still alive are now irrevocably split. Even those who remained in the coalition do not seem to be united.

But let’s take out my kaleidoscope at this point.

First, does maintaining unity equals to success? Let us recall that some of our fiercest objections against Gerakan, MCA or MIC were because they chose to stay on with a corrupted and racist UMNO. Yes Barisan Nasional had a united front, but at what cost?

Secondly, the breakup of Pakatan Rakyat was precisely because some of us strongly held on to our promise to you earlier — to have a more democratic, more liberal, more inclusive, more just, more efficient political alternative to Umno. That means, when one of our partners wanted to go back to a more extreme form of politics, we have to say no, and when that cannot be accepted we have to part ways. All this due to our commitment to our first promise.

Is that failure? It is messy, I know, but is it a failure?

You see, when Pakatan Rakyat disintegrated, Pakatan Harapan quickly appeared. Why? Because those who wanted a Pakatan are more determined than ever to make it work. And there are more and more of us, those who want to make it work. We have learnt our lessons from the days of the Barisan Sosialis, Gagasan Rakyat, Barisan Alternatif.

As I have warned earlier that this will be apologetic.

I do not want to prove you wrong. Please continue to criticise and chastise us and keep us on the path — I have written a whole (small) book on why the people should keep an eye on politics and should not let politicians have a field day running the show by themselves.

But I want to invite you to look beyond the noise. I need to tell you when you are looking the wrong way, just as I expect you to when I am looking the wrong way. Despite all the gloomy news of failures and rumours of impending armageddon for the opposition, we have done a lot — you and I.

You and I know from the start that this is not going to be easy. And this is where it gets really rough, are we going to throw in the towel just yet?

I am just like you, I joined politics with zero background in politics in 2007. Do you remember 2007? Everything we have today seems impossible then. Not a bloody chance! But we refused to believe in impossibility. We refused to believe in the cynics. “Why are you wasting your time to go BERSIH!

It’s so dangerous and what can you guys achieve?” That still reverberates in the back of my mind from the first BERSIH rally in 2007. And boy the excitement of my Indian colleagues, the engineers in the factory where I worked back then, when they plotted together to attend Hindraf that year. They came back with proud faces and prouder spirit: we did it!

My dear friends,

The problems are there. A lot of problems in fact, I know, I have to face it every single day. I once told a disappointed activist who supports Pakatan, I cannot afford to be pessimistic or else how can I even live a day staring straight into the sun when some of us are already complaining about the heat. No don’t get me wrong, I am no superhero – I just want to finish what I have started, what we have started together. And even at this maddening point, I am convinced, we can do it because we have done so much already!

And because love battles

not just in its own burning fields

but also in the mouths of men and women

I will finish this fight by taking the trail

from those would come between my chest and your fragrance

to plant their confused plants.

They will say about me,

nothing worse…

than what I have told you myself — Pablo Neruda

* Steven Sim is the Member of Parliament for Bukit Mertajam.

                This entry was posted on Monday, 30 November 2015, 4:54 am and is filed under
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The meaning of Nancy Shukri’s answer on 1MDB probe is that there will be no outcome on 1MDB investigations so long as Najib is the Prime Minister of Malaysia

The Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department Nancy Shukri has given  a very convoluted reply to the parliamentary question on the progress of the Special Task Force to investigate into the 1MDB.

Saying that the Special Task Force is still investigating the 1MDB, Nancy said there is no time frame set for the investigations as there are many witnesses and documents to obtain, some of which are overseas.

She said the probe will be completed after the statements of all witnesses are recorded and all related documents obtained.

Once it is done, the report will be tabled to Attorney-General Mohamed Apandi Ali for further action.

Does any MP or anyone for that matter really understand what Nancy is actually trying to  say in her convoluted reply?

The long and short of Nancy’s convoluted reply is that there will be no outcome on the 1MDB probe, so long as Najib is the Prime Minister of Malaysia – and make no mistake, this applies to the Public Accounts Committee (PAC) as well, which explains the three-month derailment of continued PAC investigation into 1MDB in August, my six-month suspension from Parliament and the new  PAC Chairman, Datuk Hasan Arifin’s disarmingly frank admission that he had to “cari makan” when asked why Najib was not called as a star witness in the PAC probe into 1MDB.

Nancy’s answer is an irresponsible dismissal of the concern not only of  Malaysians, but even the Malay Rulers, who in an unprecedented joint statement on October 6, 2015  had called for the completion of the 1MDB investigations “as soon as possible” and for “appropriate stern action” to be taken against all found to be implicated.

Now we have an official Cabinet reply to the Malay Rulers’ concern about the 1MDB scandal and call for the 1MDB probe to be completed “as soon as possible” – that no end is in sight for  the 1MDB probe, that it will be spun out indefinitely into the future with no conclusion or result so long as Najib remains as the Prime Minister.

The sacking of Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin’s as Deputy Prime Minister, Datuk Seri Shafie Apdal as Minister for Rural and Regional Development, and even the shock dismissal of Tan Sri Gani Patail as Attorney-General are evidence of the fate of those who want an early resolution of the 1MDB scandal.

As Muhyiddin told 1,000 Barisan Nasional leaders in Pagoh yesterday:

“My actions were to try and rectify the situation and remedy the party.

“You (Najib) are the person responsible, who created this problem. How long should I remain silent on this?

“I am not the person involved in the 1MDB or RM2.6 billion. Why is a person who is innocent punished and the person who is responsible is not facing action? Where is the logic and which law stipulates that?”

Muhyiddin said those who criticise are cut and beheaded, so where is the democracy in the party and Cabinet?

The latest shock statutory declaration by Charles Morais that the murder of his brother,  DPP Kevin Morais may be related to a charge sheet which the Attorney-General’s Chambers was preparing to prosecute Prime Minister Najib for corruption in connection with 1MDB has raised even more disturbing questions.

Nancy’s convoluted reply has  itself  seeded many questions, especially in her claim that the Special Task Force into 1MDB is still investigating the case.

This is because the 1MDB Special Task Force has become a very mysterious creature, at one time announced as no more as having been disbanded, only to come alive two months later although it did not seem to have met at all!

A week after Najib’s shock offensive sacking the Deputy Prime Minister, Cabinet Minister and the Attorney-General as well as purging “insurbordinate” officials in the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission, the Police, Bank Negara and the Attorney-General’s Chambers, the MACC issued a statement on August 5 stating that the Special Task Force on 1MDB had been disbanded by the new Attorney-General, Tan Sri Mohamed Apandi Ali and that the three main agencies in the Special Task Force, Bank Negara, MACC and Police, had been ordered to work independently to continue their roles based on the relevant laws.

Two weeks later, it was announced that a new task force which excluded the MACC, had been formed to investigate alleged discrepancies and possible misappropriation of funds from 1MDB.

This new task force, called the National Revenue Recovery Enforcement Team (NRRET), was headed by the new Attorney-General Tan Sri Mohamed Apandi Ali, with representatives from Bank Negara, police, the Internal Revenue Board and the Royal Customs and Excise Department.

The new task force’s role is focused on the recovery of any government funds that may have been channelled into 1MDB.

Then some two months later, the Attorney-General’s Chambers issued a statement to say that the Special Task Force had never been disbanded – something which the MACC, one of the four agencies on the Special Task Force, did not know at all!

The Attorney-General’s Chamber statement on Oct. 8 was made in response to the joint statement by the Malay Rulers of Oct. 6 calling for the 1MDB probe to be completed “as soon as possible”.

Who in the AG’s Chambers issued this statement? Was it made with the authority of the new Attorney-General?

Was the AG’s Chamber statement of Oct. 8 telling the truth that the Special Task Force on 1MDB was never disbanded, and if so, why did the MACC issue a statement on August 5 announcing that the Special Task Force had been disbanded?

How many times had the Special Task Force on 1MDB met since August?

This is adding mystery to mystery, bundling the 1MDB scandal in a maze of mysteries.

It is indeed shocking if the Malay Rulers and Parliament could be given official answers which do not represent the truth.

The Prime Minister, Datuk Seri Najib Razak, as the only person in government and the country who knows the ins-and-outs, from the beginning to the  present, about the 1MDB mega scandal, should stop running away from a full and satisfactorily accounting for the RM2.6 billion and RM50 billion 1MDB twin mega scandals – and  he must do so in Parliament, which is in the last week of its six-week budget  meeting.

                This entry was posted on Monday, 30 November 2015, 1:01 pm and is filed under
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The Rapid Rejection of Post-UMNO Datuk Onn

M. Bakri Musa

www.bakrimusa.com

30th November 2015

Datuk Onn was a brilliant strategist and farsighted leader. Indeed he was so far ahead that he left his simple village followers behind.

     In 1951, just five years after he established and led UMNO, he quit the presidency of his young struggling party and left in a huff. The issue was over admitting non-Malays into UMNO. On the surface this would seem to be a liberal move to engage non-Malays in the political process and to make the party race-blind. Indeed many contemporary commentators are effusive in their praise of the man for his supposed foresight in thinking beyond communal lines and racial identity.

     I have a different take; I see his move as the earliest expression of Ketuanan Melayu (Malay Hegemony). Onn saw his move as a means to establish Malay control on the political process by co-opting non-Malays, in particular the Chinese, into his Malay party. The reason was obvious. A year or two earlier the Chinese community under the leadership of the staunchly anti-communist Tan Cheng Lock had formed the Malayan Chinese Association (MCA). To Onn, it would be much easier to “control” the Chinese politically if they were to be co-opted within UMNO than if they were to have their own separate party. Onn feared that the newly-formed MCA would not only be a formidable power but also be on par with UMNO in the anticipated negotiations for independence.

     As a preemptive political strategy, that initiative was stunningly brilliant. Obviously such a strategy could not be stated publicly lest it would lose its power. No Chinese would willingly allow themselves or their community to be trapped that way. Consequently Onn was unable to publicly enunciate his reasons to the rank and file members for this presumed “liberalization” of UMNO’s membership. The average UMNO members, being simple honest village folks, could not readily comprehend Onn’s subtle and brilliant strategy.

     Of note is that all in the senior leadership of UMNO then, in particular Razak Hussein who would two decades later lead the party, were in total agreement with and supported Onn.  They however, quickly capitulated when they read the mood of the membership. I do not know whether that was an expression of leadership wisdom or political expediency.

     Being the aristocrat that he was, Onn felt no compulsion to explain his thinking to the membership; he felt that they should just trust him implicitly. After all, it was his brilliant idea to form UMNO in the first place, and he was the one who single-handedly led the fight against the Malayan Union. So they (UMNO members) should simply trust his judgment on the wisdom of admitting non-Malays to the party. So when the membership rejected his initiative, Onn walked out of the party in a huff.

     Datuk Onn had a very high opinion of himself that went with his aloof and aristocratic bearing. His persona bordered on the arrogance. He was undoubtedly expecting in the grand old Malay tradition of merajuk (sulking) that when he walked off the stage, UMNO members and leaders would come to him begging him to stay. Unfortunately for Onn, they saw no need for that as they had another far-sighted, even more brilliant, and much younger leader to boot waiting in the wings. That person was Razak Hussein, head of the party’s Youth Wing.

     As for Onn, I remember as a youngster listening to his campaign speeches in my village. What I recall most was his undisguised look of disdain as he addressed the villagers. It was as if he was wasting his time explaining sophisticated political ideas to these simpletons. The voters of course saw that; his candidacy and his new multiracial party were soundly rejected in the first general elections of 1955. It turned out that not only were Malays not buying his argument, so were non-Malays.

     Datuk Onn did not win his first parliamentary seat until 1959 when he led his avowedly Malay nationalistic Party Negara. The irony was that the party explicitly restricted its membership to Malays!

     Datuk Onn was right in sensing the potential strength of the newly-formed MCA, in particular its leader Tan Cheng Lock. Apart from the personal rivalry between Onn and Tan, there would now be a potentially more explosive political one. While both were committed Anglophiles, Tan would be a formidable adversary for he was staunchly anti-Communist and had proven his pro-British core during the Japanese Occupation. For another, he was also fabulously wealthy. That counted considerably in politics, then and now.

     As leader, Onn showed great foresight as well as free-mindedness. Had he been the typical civil servant with the mindset of Kami menurut perentah (I follow instructions) he would have followed in his sultan’s lead by supporting the Malayan Union Treaty, and be amply rewarded in the process. Had he done that, there would be no limit to the honors heaped upon him by the sultans and the British. Instead he heeded the voices of the rakyat and paid close attention to the key phrases of the treaty. That decided for him, and he ignored his sultan. Malays owe Datuk Onn a huge debt of gratitude for without him, Malayan Union would have prevailed.

     The UMNO masses in turn showed great political wisdom and maturity in not letting Onn blackmail them by joining him in abandoning the young fledgling party. Malays, specifically UMNO members, were indeed grateful to Onn for scuttling the Malayan Union, but that gratitude had its limits. When Onn breached that by quitting UMNO, the members rightly rejected him.

     Today Malays, in particular UMNO members, unabashedly express their gratitude to leaders whose accomplishments pale in comparison to that of Datuk Onn’s. We continue doing so long after they have betrayed our trust in them through their repeated acts of greed, corruption and incompetence.

     There is yet another point worth noting. When Onn left UMNO, its leaders beginning with Tunku Abdul Rahman (who succeeded Onn) and Datuk Razak Hussein right down to the lowly branch committee member as well as ordinary members, did not demonize Onn. They respected his decision to leave and left it at that.

     The UMNO of today is a far different party. When former Prime Minister Mahathir retired after leading the party for over two decades, those small characters he left behind took every opportunity to snipe at him. Malay culture has not changed; only UMNO.

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

Next: Tun Razak Hussein

                This entry was posted on Monday, 30 November 2015, 5:33 am and is filed under
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