Najib’s launching of Malaysia-United States (Congressional) Caucus on April 14 should be deferred until there is full Malaysian parliamentary representation including PR MPs

The launching of the Malaysia-United States (Congressional) Caucus by the Prime Minister, Datuk Seri Najib Razak on April 14 should be deferred until there is full Malaysian parliamentary representation including from Pakatan Rakyat Members of Parliament.

The Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department, Datuk Nazri Aziz was insulting the intelligence of Parliament and the country when he gave a nonsense justification yesterday for the Prime Minister’s decision to bring two independent Members of Parliament to the United States for the launch of the Malaysia-United States (Congressional) Caucus in his forthcoming trip to Washing to meet US President Obama.

As I said in Parliament yesterday, I congratulated the two “independent” MPs, Datuk Seri Zahrain Hashim (Bayan Baru) and Zulkifli Noordin (Kulim-Bandar Baharu).

There is no need for any “sour grapes” for their selection from Pakatan Rakyat MPs, as it is the Barisan Nasional MPs who should feel angry and aggrieved – as “independent” MPs are being treated as first-class MPs while BN MPs downgraded to second-class status by the Najib leadership.

The attempt by Nazri to “justify the unjustifiable” and “defend the indefensible” can only provoke disbelief and dismay at the intellectual depths of Malaysia’s Cabinet Ministers.

Nazri said the two independent MPs were included in the delegation to the United States next week to ensure that neither the Barisan Nasional nor the Opposition would be affected if bloc division vote was called for any arising matter.

Nazri cannot be so lacking in the basic 3Rs with regard to arithmetic as not able to realize that if Barisan Nasional and Pakatan Rakyat send equal number of MPs for the launching of the Malaysia-US (Congressional) Caucus, the balance for bloc division voting in Parliament by the two sides of the House would have been maintained.

What is the more important question is how could the Prime Minister lend his name and office to the launching of a purported Malaysia-US (Congressional) Caucus which is not fully representative of the Malaysian Parliament but is at best a Barisan Nasional-US (Congressional) Caucus?

It is not only the good name and prestige of the Malaysian Parliament, but also that of the Prime Minister and the country which would be dragged through the mud.

Is the Prime Minister going to be confronted with questions by the international media (or even worse, by Democratic or Republican Senators or Representatives) in his next visit to the United States why he fail to comport himself as Prime Minister for all Malaysians, races, regions and MPs, as in inaugurating a Malaysia-US (Congresional) Caucus when it is nothing but a BN-US (Congressional) Caucus?

When the name of Parliament is used internationally, it must be at the behest of all MPs, embracing both BN and PR, and not by any one political party or Minister.

Although I have great political differences with Najib, I do not want to see the Malaysian Prime Minister made a laughing stock when he goes overseas – all because of misguided notions that BN MPs can pass off internationally as representing all Malaysian MPs from all political parties.

The postponement of the launching of the Malaysia-US (Congressional) Caucus to a date when PR MPs could be represented would save Najib from international embarrassment of not walking the talk of his multi-million ringgit propaganda blitz of 1Malaysia.

It will also not trivialize the launch of the Malaysia-US (Congressional) Caucus which had lain dormant for ten years.

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25 Replies to “Najib’s launching of Malaysia-United States (Congressional) Caucus on April 14 should be deferred until there is full Malaysian parliamentary representation including PR MPs”

  1. Just what is this US – Malaysia Parliament caucus all about? What are its aims and objectives? Why did it fail the last time and laid dormant all these years? Why revive it now? What is there to gain? Who put Nazri in charge and made him the decision maker?

    If there are no proper purpose or objectives, then the Opposition should not participate. Let it solely be a BN + Frogs + Ibrahim Ali show.

    Let the US Congressmen see how our Malaysian Parliament operates. Let us see whether they can gain anything from this relationship. Let them see how our MPs and Speakers behave.

    Indeed, let them all know beforehand how our Parliament has become another tool of the Executive. Then they can give our delegation of 1PM, 1UMNO Minister and 2Frogs the welcome they deserve.

    I heard that Ibrahim Ali is begging to be included. You know, that sh*t, sh*t, sh*t man of Al-Jazeera interview fame. Yes, include him in the delegation. That would complete the delegation nicely. Let him sh*t, sh*t, sh*t in Washington. Obama will be pleased.

  2. Just back from a lunch meeting with a dozen of so chinaman businessmen. And I was pleasantly surprised by their sentiments. About 1/2 year ago I had a meeting with the same group of people. Their sentiment then towards pakatan was a little uncertain although they were initially elated with the 308 election result. This time round they all openly declared that they were pleased with pakatan’s performance in penang and selangor. And based on the improvements there, they observed readily that (1) the government must be changed and (2) they would surely continue to vote the opposition. I did not have to engage in any debate with them or any one of them at all. Neither did I have to do any persuasion. I simply started the topic by making a reference to some current issues and out come those remarks.

    Its a very small sample and their sentiments may not reflect the overall situation. Then again it does tell us something.

    Maybe all of us here could do the same thing and make a brief report here like I have. A collection of the result would be more credible and DAP could then have a closer feel of any movement on the ground. This would be helpful info for them and for their planning.

  3. ///It is not only the good name and prestige of the Malaysian Parliament, but also that of the Prime Minister and the country which would be dragged through the mud./// (Kit)

    Najib should stop washing dirty linen in public and causing embarrassment to the country.

    Imagine President Obama ask Najib, “Why I didn’t see representatives from the opposition party?”

  4. Malaysia parliament quite rightly should include not only independents, but PR (MPs) which is the largest opposition group. That PM chooses to ignore PR does not come as a surprise.

    The mark of a great & wise leader is one who displays magnanimity and not petty vindictiveness. If our PM is capable of displaying this quality then PR should be very worried for his popularity would rise further!

  5. I don’t agree that we should fix where the PM comes from.
    What is more important is that the PM from whichever state or race should be the leader of ALL Malaysians first.
    Having a system of rotation merely encourages mediocrity and money politics….maybe we should go for direct elections for the PM’s post – that way all Malaysians get to select the best candidate.

  6. “…..Nazri said the two independent MPs were included in the delegation to the United States next week to ensure that neither the Barisan Nasional nor the Opposition would be affected if bloc division vote was called for any arising matter…….”

    Yeah…. to ensure that Barisan Nasional MPs are always in the Parliament sitting and the majority being ‘secured’, it would be better to appoint those independent MPs to become ministers so that the BN Mps would not need to travel abroad on ministerial duties …..suggest that to your boss , Nazri!

  7. The ruling party is not that all-paramount
    That it can leave the opposition out of certain functions
    Leaving the opposition party out is tantamount
    To leaving it out of the parliamentary sessions

    Like a coin that has two sides
    Views should come not only from one section
    Ideally, both should work side by side
    For the good and well-being of the nation

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