Pakatan accuses BN of exploiting ‘brute majority’

By Asrul Hadi Abdullah Sani | The Malaysian Insider

KUALA LUMPUR, April 22 — Lim Kit Siang attacked Barisan Nasional (BN) today for using what he called its “brute majority” in Parliament to persecute Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim.

Together with his Pakatan Rakyat (PR) colleagues, he urged BN lawmakers to look into their conscience when deciding whether to refer the opposition leader to powerful Parliament’s Rights and Privileges Committee.

The DAP parliamentary leader also asked Parliament why Anwar’s claim that 1 Malaysia was linked to One Israel, was so “heinous.”

“This is dark day in Parliament. I am very saddened. What is so heinous about the accusation that 1 Malaysia is a carbon copy of One Israel? What is so big [about it]?

“If I say 1 Malaysia is [a] carbon copy of Malaysian Malaysia, then will I be referred to the committee? This is politically motivated through their brute majority” he said.

He was speaking during today’s special debate on whether Anwar should face disciplinary action under Standing Orders 18 (2) over his claim that the prime minister’s 1 Malaysia concept was linked to former Israeli prime minister, Ehud Barak’s One Israel campaign.

Lim claimed that the House was no longer a court of justice but gladiatorial arena.

“Parliament is like [the] Roman Coliseum and not a court of justice. They do not want to hear what is right but only the brute majority will decide. There has been an utter [and] complete interference in the separation of power because the Cabinet made their decision and everyone just follows.

“That is why we cannot allow brute majority [to decide]. Barisan Nasional must not be allowed brute majority. They are a rude majority, blind majority, stupid majority,” his attacks continued.

Lim then said that BN was being hypocritical, citing the case of Pasir Salak MP Datuk Tajuddin Abdul Rahman, who was not reprimanded by the House when he accused the DAP of allegedly selling state secrets to Hong Kong and Singapore.

He asked if the House was willing to take action against Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department, Datuk Seri Nazri Aziz, who had back-tracked from an earlier statement that APCO Worldwide had arranged Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak’s meeting with US President Barack Obama.

“There is hypocrisy in Barisan Nasional on what they say outside and inside the House. Outside the prime minister talks about 1 Malaysia but I have not yet heard any ministers say that they are Malaysian first.

“Outside, they attack Datuk Zaid Ibrahim over his drinking habit but in Parliament, none of the ministers are brave [enough] to say that they had drunk before.

“I know the prime minister drinks, the minister of information drinks, and the home minister drinks. I am saying that it is wrong to drink, but why make a big deal out of it?” he said.

He added if the allegation that 1 Malaysia was related to One Israel did indeed affect national security, then Parliament should approve a royal commission on the issue instead of going after Anwar.

Raising the stakes further, Lim then challenged the prime minister to face the disciplinary committee on the matter.

“Is the PM willing to face the Parliamentary Rights and Privileges Committee and explain the origins of 1 Malaysia? Is he willing to provide detailed explanations?” he said.

Gombak MP Azmin Ali said that the points in contention went beyond whether 1 Malaysia was the same as One Israel and, more importantly, involved national security.

“This is not only an issue of 1 Malaysia/One Isreal, but the serious question is the national security that has been breached by APCO representing the Zionist leaders. The government has limited the debate to 1 Malaysia. These are efforts by Umno to discard the allegations by the Permatang Pauh MP (Anwar) regarding the security of the country,” he said.

The PKR vice president added that Anwar had challenged the prime minister to provide an explanation to the House and along with reassurance that no individual from APCO was involved with 1 Malaysia.

“The prime minister is more interested in the Hulu Selangor by-election. Where is he [now]? This shows that the government does not care that national security is being breached by Zionists.

Azmin further charged that Umno were unable to separate the two issues and instead, chose to react by “using its sheer majority to punish the opposition.”

“They must make decisions with their conscience. Don’t become the prime minister’s stooges. Umno should not become slaves to APCO and Zionist Israel. They are broken and slaves to the foreigners,” he said.