The 1MDB “Monster” is claiming more and more victims, and I am only the latest one – suspended from Parliament for six months because I had said what is in the heart of all thinking and patriotic Malaysians, viz:
*firstly, that the Public Accounts Committee investigations into the RM50 billion 1MDB scandal should not have been suspended for three months as national interests demand that 1MDB investigations should be conducted as a matter of greatest urgency and priority; and
*secondly, there has been too much avoidance and evasion of responsibility by the Prime Minister, Datuk Seri Najib Razak and his government in giving full accountability for the twin mega scandals in the country, the 1MDB and the RM2.6 billion “donation” in Najib’s personal banking accounts resulting in an unprecedented crisis of confidence in the Malaysian government.
This is why the Malay Rulers on October 6 had come out with an extraordinary statement calling for 1MDB investigations to be completed “as soon as possible” and for the “appropriate stern action” to be taken against all found to be implicated.
In their statement, the Malay Rulers stressed that all concerned should extend “real and sincere” co-operation for the 1MDB investigations to achieve their objectives and that the findings of the investigation “must be reported comprehensively and in a transparent manner so that the people will be convinced of the sincerity of the government which shall not at all conceal facts and the truth”.
The Malay Rulers, like all Malaysians, are clearly not convinced that the government is sincere in wanting all the facts and truths about the 1MDB scandal to be out in the open, or there would be no stalling of PAC investigations into the 1MDB investigations for such a prolonged period of three months!
Najib’s 2016 Budget presentation in Parliament on Friday was a disgraceful “wash-out” because he glaringly omitted what the government was going to do with regard to Malaysia’s first international financial scandal – the 1MDB scandal.
I have no doubt that the placard “Mana RM2.6 billion” (Where is the RM2.6 billion) which opposition MPs displayed in Dewan Rakyat after Najib’s budget speech resonated in the hearts and minds of 30 million Malaysians, even among the three million UMNO members and patriotic and conscientious UMNO/BN Members of Parliament, as this was the topmost question which Najib’s 2016 Budget speech had failed to address.
If Najib is not prepared to give sincere and truthful answers in Parliament about the two mega scandals of the RM50 billion 1MDB and RM2.6 billion “donation” in his personal banking accounts, then it is for the 30 million Malaysians to demand answers from Najib and the Umno/BN government.
Not only Opposition MPs must display placards asking “Mana RM2.6 billion”, Malaysians all over the country should also display placards asking “Mana RM2.6 billion”!
In fact, the three million UMNO members should take the lead to display placards “Mana RM2.6 billion” in all the UMNO branches and divisions.
Deputy Prime Minister Datuk Seri Zahid Hamidi yesterday dismissed the call by the 13 Umno branch leaders in Telok Kemang for Najib to resign as UMNO President, saying that the call meant little as there are 20,000 such leaders nationwide.
“They were 13 out of 20,000,” Zahid said, in a cynical tone.
I believe that if they had been given the chance, the 20,000 UMNO branch leaders in the country would also want Najib and the top UMNO leadership to come clean about the two mega scandals in the country, and not to create a situation where not only Malaysians as a whole, but the three million UMNO members, cannot hold their heads high as the 1MDB and RM2.6 billion “donation” scandals have brought shame to Malaysia, not onlyl nationally but also world-wide.
In fact, a day after Najib’s 2016 Budget presentation in Parliament, the Australian press reported that a sixth foreign government, Australia, has joined five other countries, namely Switzerland, United Kingdom, Hong Kong, Singapore and United States in the ever-widening international inquiry into 1MDB scandal.
Most shameful of all, neither Najib himself nor any of his Ministers dare to contradict or clarify US media reports that Najib is being investigated by the US Department of Justice under its Kleptocracy Assets Recovery Initiative 2010, which means that the Malaysian Prime Minister is being investigated by the US authorities as to whether he is a kleptocrat!
If given a chance to state their position, the majority of the three million UMNO members will surely state their great embarrassment at Najib’s failure to give a full accountability of the two mega scandals afflicting his administration – which has even caused grave concern to the Malay Rulers.
The problem is that the three million UMNO members have no voice or rights at all as compared to the 300 UMNO chieftains, as Najib ensured the support of the 300 UMNO chieftains whether at the UMNO Supreme Council or at the UMNO Divisional chief levels while those who refused to toe his line, like Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin and Datuk Seri Shafie Apdal are being increasingly isolated and marginalised.
The ratio of 300 Umno chieftains to three million UMNO members is not one per cent or 0.1 per cent but merely 0.01 per cent to the total UMNO membership!
Why is 0.01 per cent in UMNO allowed to deny the three million UMNO members their democratic and patriotic right to demand full accountability by Najib with regard to the two mega scandals, which have brought such enormous shame to Malaysia internationally as well as the cause of the worst crisis of confidence in the country with such great economic costs to the people of Malaysia?
I would have advised Najib to refund the RM2.6 billion “donation” to the Treasury as one way to resolve the RM2.6 billion “donation” scandal during the debate on 2016 budget if I had not been suspended from Parliament for six months.
I believe such a proposal would find support not only from Malaysians but a majority of the three million UMNO members.
Would any UMNO/BN MP dare to make such a suggestion to Najib in the Parliamentary debate on the 2016 Budget?
(Speech at the launch of Pakatan Harapan Negri Sembilan in Seremban on Sunday, October 25, 2015 at 10 pm)