Serdang Parliamentary constituency, of which Balakong is one of the three constituent state assembly seats, is the 98th Parliamentary constituency I am visiting since my six-month suspension from Parliament on Oct. 22, 2015 for demanding answers to the simple questions as to the source, the donor or donors, of the RM2.6 billion “donation” in Najib’s personal banking accounts before the 13th General Election in May 2013 and where the astronomical sums of monies have gone to.
I wanted public feedback whether Malaysians agree with me that the Prime Minister, Datuk Seri Najib Razak must answer the teeming questions which multiply by the day about his RM55 billion 1MDB and RM2.6 billion “donation” twin mega scandals which are now the subject of separate investigations by seven other countries as well as landed the country with the new infamy of being among the world’s ten most corrupt nations.
However, in the past 10 days since the historic event in Kuala Lumpur on March 4 where 42 political and civil society leaders signed and proclaimed the Citizens’ Declaration to Save Malaysia, I have sought public feedback on a second issue in 18 of these 98 parliamentary constituencies I visited– whether the Malaysian public support the Citizens’ Declaration to Save Malaysia, and in particular my working with former Prime Minister Tun Dr. Mahathir to Save Malaysia despite our differences in the past, including his responsibility for my and Lim Guan Eng’s imprisonment.
However, since the past week, there is third issue grabbing public attention – allegation of corruption against Penang Chief Minister Lim Guan Eng and insinuation in the government and UMNO/BN owned and controlled media that Guan Eng is like former Selangor Mentri Besar Khir Toyo.
There is no basis whatsoever in such a comparison.
Ditamas Sdn Bhd director Shamsuddin Hayroni told the High Court during the fourth day of the corruption trial of Khir Toyo in June 2011 that he had sold two plots of land and a bungalow at a price of RM3.5 million to Khir Toyo for fear of jeopardizing his housing projects in Selangor.
He told the court that he had bought the property at RM5 million with renovation cost of RM1.5 million and the price should be RM6.5 million. He said he personally did not agree with the RM3.5 million price wanted by Khir Toyo because it was too low and he told Khir Toyo that it should be at least between RM5 million to RM5.5 million.
But Khir Toyo did not agree with the price, saying that he could only afford RM3.5 million.
In Guan Eng’s case, the seller of the bungalow, Phang Li Koon has made a statutory declaration denying that she is involved in companies which deal with the Penang State Government.
Guan Eng has also been accused of sacrificing the housing interest of the people of Penang as even the Housing Minister claimed that the controversial Taman Manggis land in the state was initially meant for the development of low-cost housing.
This is far from the truth as the Penang State Government had found the one-acre size of the Taman Manggis land too small and had replaced it with an 11-acre plot on Jalan SP Chelliah, which is better placed than Taman Manggis.
I would have thought that this should deserve appreciation and commendation instead of condemnation and calumny.
As a result of Najib’s twin mega scandals, which cannot be swept under the carpet as there are increasingly new exposes in foreign countries and foreign newspapers which are not under Putrajaya’s control, and the historic March 4, 2016 gathering which bridged the racial, religious and political divides for the first time in the nation’s history to “Save Malaysia”, DAP is now the target of a systematic attack by UMNO/BN leaders, propagandists and cybertroopers – starting with Guan Eng and me.
Today, the Police took a statement from me under the Sedition Act after more than a hundred police reports had been lodged against me for my comment that the Yang di Pertuan Agong’s Royal Address at the opening of Parliament on March 7 was prepared by the Government of the day.
I expect the next step would be to charge me under the Sedition Act and to get me disqualified as a Member of Parliament if I am convicted of sedition.
This is the time for Malaysians, regardless of race, religion, region, politics, age or gender to stand united to “Save Malaysia” from rampant corruption, repressive laws, widespread socio-economic injustices, growing racial and religious polarisation and the nation hurtling towards a failed and a rogue state as we are all patriots who want Malaysia to fulfill her early promise as a world-class nation which could fully realise the Malaysian Dream where Malaysians can excel in every field of human endeavour.
(Speech at the Balakong DAP ceramah kopitiam held on Thursday, 24th March 2016 at 9 pm)