Lim Kit Siang

Although Najib has succeeded in frightening off Mahathir in not talking about 1MDB scandal, there are still enough patriotic and public-spirited Malaysians who still insist on their rights to demand proper accountability and not to be fobbed off by Najib’s delaying tactics

I fully agree with former Cabinet Minister and Kedah Mentri Besar, Tan Sri Sanusi Junid that Prime Minister, Datuk Seri Najib Razak’s reshuffled Cabinet is unashamedly a 1MDB Cabinet, imbued with the “Charge of the Light Brigade” spirit of “Theirs not to make reply, Theirs not to reason why, Theirs but to do and die, Into the Valley of Death” to give blind support and loyalty to Najib on the 1MDB scandal.

We can already see a trio of Najib’s Cabinet Ministers, two of whom are newly brought into Najib’s Cabinet, who have taken the position as Najib’s vanguard to resort to all means, whether fair or foul, to shield and cocoon Najib from demands of accountability, transparency and good governance principles on the 1MDB scandal.

Although Najib has succeeded in frightening off former Prime Minister, Tun Mahathir, from further talking about the 1MDB scandal, it is fortunate that there are still enough patriotic and public-spirited Malaysians who refuse to bow down to Najib’s strong-armed tactics and are still insisting on their rights to demand proper accountability on the 1MDB scandal and not to be fobbed off by Najib’s various delaying tactics, including:

• Crippling the multi-agency “Special Task Force” investigating the 1MDB scandal, turning the table where those hunting for those guilty of crimes in the 1MDB scandal have become the “hunted”, accused of an international conspiracy to “criminalise” the Prime Minister and topple the elected government of Malaysia, starting with the sacking of the Attorney-General of nearly 13 years, Tan Sri Gani Patail and the arrest and investigation of key officers in the Special Task Force; and

• Paralysing the Public Accounts Committee (PAC) which is scheduled to resume hearings into the 1MDB scandal from tomorrow onwards, by removing the PAC Chairman and three members by the simple expedient of elevating to Ministerial or Deputy Ministerial positions in the Cabinet reshuffle and undermining the principle of sovereignty of Parliament and the doctrine of separations of powers by sabotage of its continued hearings on the 1MDB scandal by at least 12 weeks.

Former Deputy Prime Minister, Tan Sri Muhiyddin Yassin has vowed that he would not shut up on the 1MDB issue, as it is the concern of the people.

As Muhyiddin said it at the Kluang Umno division annual general meeting yesterday, “I said I won’t keep quiet. As UMNO deputy president why should I? I need to speak up.”

The question is whether there are enough UMNO leaders and members, as well as Malaysians, who will stand up to insist on their right to know the truth about the 1MDB scandal from the Prime Minister now, or whether Najib has succeeded in sealing the lips of the three million UMNO members, enveloping them with the spirit of the “Charge of the Light Brigade”.