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If DAP and Pakatan Harapan are only interested in our own political interests, we will do everything possible to ensure that Najib will remain as Prime Minister and lead UMNO/BN into the 14th General Elections because he will be an easier target

If DAP and Pakatan Harapan are only interested in our own political interests, we will do everything possible to ensure that Datuk Seri Najib Razak will remain as Prime Minister and lead UMNO/Barisan Nasional into the 14th General Elections because he will be an easier target with so many political and economic scandals exploding all over the place.

We will not force an issue of a vote of confidence in Parliament, whether in the form of a no-confidence motion or in defeating the government on an important measure like the Second Reading of the 2016 Budget which will be voted on Monday 16th November at the end of the three-day Ministerial winding-up of the budget debate.

But our national interests must override all our political party interests for we want to send a clear and unmistakable message that the present state of national affairs where confidence, whether national or international, has plumbed to the lowest depths in the nation’s history, cannot continue for the next two-and-half-years before the 14th General Elections, as the country cannot afford the great economic and nation-building costs of such prolonged crisis of confidence.

November 16. when there will be a vote in the Second Reading of the 2016 Budget, will be Najib’s first test of leadership in Parliament.

Pakatan Harapan has 72 Members of Parliament, but only 71 votes, as I have been suspended from Parliament for six months. PAS has declared that it will not support any effort to vote out the 2016 Budget.

In these circumstances, is it possible to expect 41 Members of Parliament from UMNO/Barisan Nasional to cross the floor on Nov. 16 to support Pakatan Harapan Members of Parliament to vote down Najib’s 2016 Budget by ensuring that there is an absolute simple majority of at least 112 votes out of a Parliament of 222 Members of Parlaiment? Continue reading “If DAP and Pakatan Harapan are only interested in our own political interests, we will do everything possible to ensure that Najib will remain as Prime Minister and lead UMNO/BN into the 14th General Elections because he will be an easier target”

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New PAC Chairman Hasan Arifin is more concerned about shutting up Tony Pua on 1MDB than about completing PAC investigations and getting to the bottom of the RM2.6 billion “donation” and 1MDB twin mega scandals

On the first day of the current budget parliamentary meeting on Oct. 19, Parliament elected the UMNO/BN MP for Rompin, Datuk Hasan Arifin as the new Chairman of the Public Accounts Committee (PAC), which had been derailed for three months from continuing its 1MDB investigations because of the promotion of the previous PAC Chairman Datuk Nur Jazlan Mohamad and three other PAC members as Minister and Deputy Ministers.

However, in the 17 days that he had become PAC Chairman, Hasan seemed more interested in shutting up the DAP MP for PJ Utara and PAC member, Tony Pua, from speaking about the 1MDB scandal both inside and outside Parliament, than about completing the derailed PAC investigations and getting to the bottom of the RM2.6 billion “donation” and 1MDB twin mega scandals.

Was this the “brief” that was given to Hasan before his name was proposed as the PAC Chairman in Parliament – his KPI (Key Performance Indicator) as PAC Chairman being to stop Tony Pua from continuing to speak about the RM2.6 billion “donation” and 1MDB twin mega scandals, both inside and outside Parliament?

Hasan has insisted that the Speaker, Tan Sri Pandikar Amin Mulia has imposed a blanket gag on Pua from commenting on the 1MDB, including debating about 1MDB in Parliament.

Quoting Pandikar as having said that it was “difficult to differentiate between the chilli from the spice or the sweet and the sugar”, Hasan said that he would advise the PAC and Pandikar if Pua makes any remark about the 1MDB.

Hasan is clearly twisting the Speaker’s words, as Pandikar had told Pua in Parliament yesterday morning that he could talk on 1MDB if he did not touch on the PAC’s 1MDB probe and Pua had repeated umpteenth times that he had never made use of any classified information which he had obtained as a member of PAC. Continue reading “New PAC Chairman Hasan Arifin is more concerned about shutting up Tony Pua on 1MDB than about completing PAC investigations and getting to the bottom of the RM2.6 billion “donation” and 1MDB twin mega scandals”

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Its not just me, suspended from Parliament for six months, but the 30 million Malaysians including the three million UMNO members, who are victims of RM2.6 billion “donation” scandal

I thank Penang DAP under the chairmanship of Sdr. Chow Kon Yeow for organising this “Solidarity with Lim Kit Siang and Where have RM2.6 billion gone?” ceramah, and the participation of the Penang Chief Minister, Lim Guan Eng, the head of Pakatan Harapan secretariat, Datuk Saifuddin Abdullah, Parti Amanah Negara Deputy Chairman Mujahid Yusuf Rawa, Nobel Laureate Pak Samad, DAP Members of Parliament Zairil Khir Johari and Ram Karpal Singh.

I am a victim of the RM50 billion 1MDB and RM2.6 billion “donation” twin mega scandals which have wrought such economic and political devastation in the country.

But I am not the only one. In fact, the 30 million Malaysians, including the three million UMNO members, are also victims of the twin mega scandals of the country, for we are suffer from their damaging consequences, like the fall in the value of the Malaysian ringgit, the collapse of the Malaysian stock market, the plunge in international reserves, the exit of foreign capital and our inability to sell Malaysia to foreign investors as a haven for foreign investment. Continue reading “Its not just me, suspended from Parliament for six months, but the 30 million Malaysians including the three million UMNO members, who are victims of RM2.6 billion “donation” scandal”

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Call on Najib not to condone Azalina’s unparliamentary schedule but to be in Parliament on Nov. 16 to give full accountability on the 1MDB and RM2.6 billion “donation” twin mega scandals

When Parliament resumes on Monday November 16 after the Deepavali holidays, it will be the last day of three-day Ministerial winding-up of the debate on the 2016 Budget.

Will the Prime Minister cum Finance Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak appear in person to wind up the debate and answer the various pertinent issues raised by Members of Parliament from both sides of the House in the six-day debate by the parliamentary backbenchers or will Najib again play truant from Parliament?

The new Minister for the Prime Minister’s Department, Datuk Azalina Othman Said has already set the stage for Najib to play truant from Parliament on Nov. 16, when she told the media yesterday that the government would reply on the controversial RM2.6 billion “donation” that went into Najib’s personal bank accounts on the last day of the 25-day budget meeting on Dec. 3, although she could not yet say whether it would be Najib or another Minister who would be nominated to do the answering.

This is the height of contempt of Parliament, treating Parliament like a classroom of recalcitrant students, with the Speaker given the role of a mere school principal but the Prime Minister like the education supervisor whose word and action is law!

Azalina who is Minister in the PM’s Department in charge of parliamentary affairs should understand the doctrine of separation of powers in a parliamentary democracy and the principle of parliamentary control of the Executive where the Prime Minister must also comply with the Parliamentary tradition, conventions, procedures and practices and cannot act as he likes in Parliament. Continue reading “Call on Najib not to condone Azalina’s unparliamentary schedule but to be in Parliament on Nov. 16 to give full accountability on the 1MDB and RM2.6 billion “donation” twin mega scandals”

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What I had predicted is coming to pass – flouting of parliamentary tradition and conventions to stack and answer all parliamentary questions about Najib’s RM2.6 billion “donation” on the last day

What I had predicted last week is coming to pass – that the UMNO/BN government would flout parliamentary tradition and conventions to stack all parliamentary questions about Prime Minister, Datuk Seri Najib Razak’s RM2.6 billion “donation” in the current 25-day budget meeting of Parliament and answer them in “one go”, not allowing the subject to be pursued further even if MPs are completely dissatisfied with a “tai chi” non-answer.

This was my reaction to the bad, undesirable and unacceptable parliamentary precedent set by the Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department, Datuk Azalina Othman, on the first day of the current meeting on Oct. 19, refusing to answer questions on the RM2.6 billion “donation” issue by DAP MPs Lim Guan Eng (Bagan) and Lim Lip Eng (Segambut) on the ground that the government will answer questions about the RM2.6 billion “donation” and other relations questions on an undetermined date of the present meeting.

Deploring such a new-fangled practice as undermining an important principle of parliamentary control over the Executive, I asked whether this would mean that the question would be answered on the last day of the 25-day parliamentary meeting on Dec. 3, allowing MPs no room or opportunity to pursue the question if the answer was totally unsatisfactory?

Furthermore, whether the “bad, undesirable and unacceptable” parliamentary practice would be “set a disastrous precedent for Ministers to evade and avoid answering parliamentary questions posed by Members of Parliament by pushing the questions to the very last day with totally unsatisfactory and unacceptable answers”? Continue reading “What I had predicted is coming to pass – flouting of parliamentary tradition and conventions to stack and answer all parliamentary questions about Najib’s RM2.6 billion “donation” on the last day”

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With protracted and inordinate delays in PAC investigations on 1MDB, would’nt Parliament’s credibility and integrity be undermined if there is no PAC report on 1MDB when Dewan Rakyat adjourns on Dec 3?

Parliamentary and national attention had been focused in the past few days on the debate between DAP PJ Utara MP and Public Accounts Committee (PAC) member Tony Pua and the 1MDB CEO Arul Kanda Kandasamy on the RM50 billion 1MDB scandal and the threat by the Speaker, Tan Sri Padikar Amin Mulia’s of resignation by Monday if the debate is held and televised live by RTM tomorrow on Friday.

Pandikar defended his ruling on the ground that he is upholding the integrity of Parliament.

Wouldn’t Parliament’s credibility and integrity suffer greater damage if there is protracted and inordinate delays in PAC investigations into the 1MDB scandal, particularly if there is no PAC report on the 1MDB scandal when the current meeting of the Dewan Rakyat ends on December 3?

Pandikar asked what was wrong for the proposed debate to be conducted after the PAC had submitted its report to Parliament?

There is nothing wrong, but it would be academic. Continue reading “With protracted and inordinate delays in PAC investigations on 1MDB, would’nt Parliament’s credibility and integrity be undermined if there is no PAC report on 1MDB when Dewan Rakyat adjourns on Dec 3?”

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If Arul Kanda cannot testify before the PAC investigations on 1MDB, will Najib appear before PAC to testify on 1MDB’s behalf as everybody knows that an investigation into 1MDB is in fact an investigation into Najib?

Yesterday was a double whammy for the long, difficult and windy mission to establish accountability and transparency for the 1MDB and RM2.6 billion “donation” twin mega-scandals afflicting the country.

There was firstly the morning episode where Parliament was reduced to a theatre of the absurd – with Parliament Speaker Tan Sri Pandikar Amin Mulia ruling that DAP PJ Utara Member of Parliament Tony Pua should either resign from the Public Accounts Committee or abstain from the committee’s probe on 1MDB if he wants to debate with 1MDB CEO, Arul Kanda and that Arul can no longer be a witness in the PAC probe if the debate goes on.

The Speaker’s ruling was quickly followed up with the announcement by the PAC Chairman Datuk Hasan Arifin’s ruling that Pua must cease and desist from making any statements on 1MDB, whether in Parliament or outside!

It is no surprise that the following comment was one of the public reactions to all these parliamentary calisthenics over the 1MDB and RM2.6 billion “donation” twin mega-scandals:

“I was wondering why Arul was so quick to drop his condition. Now I know. He has someone else to impose the condition for him.” Continue reading “If Arul Kanda cannot testify before the PAC investigations on 1MDB, will Najib appear before PAC to testify on 1MDB’s behalf as everybody knows that an investigation into 1MDB is in fact an investigation into Najib?”

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Parliament has been reduced to a theatre of the absurd with the PAC Chairman wearing the dunce’s cap as the most absurd Parliamentarian with his absurd edict banning Tony Pua from speaking about 1MDB in public

Parliament has been reduced to a theatre of the absurd with the Public Accounts Committee (PAC) Chairman Datuk Hasan Arifin wearing the dunce’s head as the most absurd Parliamentarian with his absurd edict banning Tony Pua from speaking about 1MDB in public.

At the rate of such absurdity in Parliament and the higher echelons of government leadership, it appears to be just a matter of time before “1MDB” joins the select group of subjects where mere criticism will be criminalized and construed as an act of sedition!

It is clear that the Najib leadership had been brainstorming for quite some time to find a way to criminalise and ban public debate on the twin1MDB and RM2.6 billion “donation” twin scandals, starting with Parliament before the ban is extended to all public spaces in the country, especially with the two scandals acquiring lives of their own, exploding every few days with new revelations completely beyond the control or ken of Najib’s PR handlers – to the extent that more than half a dozen countries have initiated their own separate investigations into the twin mega scandals.

Worst of all, the Malaysian Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak had been pinpointed by the United States media as being the target of a FBI probe under the United States Department of Justice Kleptocracy Assets Recovery Initiative 2010 with neither Najib nor the Government able to deny or clarify such a damning report of Najib being investigated as a kleptocrat although more than a month had elapsed since the United States media report. Continue reading “Parliament has been reduced to a theatre of the absurd with the PAC Chairman wearing the dunce’s cap as the most absurd Parliamentarian with his absurd edict banning Tony Pua from speaking about 1MDB in public”

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After three-month derailment, PAC under new Chairman is dragging its feet on 1MDB investigations with no sense of urgency or priority – making total mockery of the concern of the Malay Rulers, 30 million Malaysians and the majority of three million UMNO members

The first meeting of the newly reconstituted Parliamentary Public Accounts Committee (PAC) under a new Chairman Datuk Hasan Arifin is a great national let-down, as after three-month derailment, the PAC is dragging its feet and procrastinating on 1MDB investigations with no sense of urgency or priority and making a total mockery of the concern of the Malay Rulers, the 30 million Malaysians and the majority of the three million UMNO members.

I suggest that the PAC Chairman Datuk Arifin and the newly-appointed PAC members should be provided with a copy of the Malay Ruler’s unprecedented statement of Oct. 6 calling for the 1MDB investigations to be completed “as soon as possible” and for “appropriate stern action” to be taken against all found to be implicated.

The Malay Rulers’ statement should be compulsory reading for Arifin and the new PAC members for it articulated not only the concern of the Malay Rulers, but the 30 million Malaysians including the majority of the three million UMNO members on the inordinate procrastination of 1MDB investigations. Continue reading “After three-month derailment, PAC under new Chairman is dragging its feet on 1MDB investigations with no sense of urgency or priority – making total mockery of the concern of the Malay Rulers, 30 million Malaysians and the majority of three million UMNO members”

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10 questions I would pose to 1MDB President, Arul Kanda during the “live discussion, talk show or debate”

Tony Pua
DAP MP for PJ Utara
3rd November 2015

1MDB President, Arul Kanda has during his press conference on Saturday, informed Malaysians that “I will meet YB Tony Pua for live discussion, or talk show, or debate, without any condition.”

I would like to announce that the Members of Parliament for Kulai and Serdang, Teo Nie Ching and Dr Ong Kian Ming will be representing me to conduct the necessary discussions with the team from 1MDB to finalise the format and details of the proposed “live discussion, or talk show, or debate” between the 1MDB President, Arul Kanda and myself.

While we wait for the much anticipated face-off, I would like to offer Arul Kanda the heads up, so that he can prepare the necessary answers whether during replies or debate speech. This way, Arul cannot feign ignorance or pretend that the documents were unavailable with him to provide the necessary answers. Therefore, let me disclose here the 10 questions which I will ask during the “live discussion, or talk show, or debate”: Continue reading “10 questions I would pose to 1MDB President, Arul Kanda during the “live discussion, talk show or debate””

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Mr Speaker, Sir: Nobody buys your story

P. Ramakrishnan
Aliran
1st Nov 2015

On 22 October 2015, the Speaker of Parliament, Pandikar Amin Mulia, claimed that he did not suspend Kit Siang – MPs did. Thinking Malaysians did not believe him. He must have been aware of it. As a result, he returned to the same topic to explain himself further and differently. Nobody believed him in the first instance and therefore there was a need to explain this unconvincing tale twice.

Exactly a week later, on 29 October 2015, he claimed that Parliament punished Kit Siang – not him. This time around he fared no better. Nobody bought his story. He was not only confusing he was also unconvincing!

He can come up with any number of versions to this shameful episode but he will not be absolved from the fact that he played a central role to Kit Siang’s suspension. Continue reading “Mr Speaker, Sir: Nobody buys your story”

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Barisan Nasional MPs in the PAC who have been beneficiaries in the RM2.6 billion Najib “donation” scandal should declare their pecuniary interests and withdraw from participation in any PAC discussion, decision or investigation into the twin mega scandals on 1MDB and RM2.6 billion ‘donation”

Former MCA President, Datuk Seri Chua Soi Lek has made startling revelations about the Prime Minister, Datuk Seri Najib Razak’s RM2.6 billion “donation” scandal in his personal banking accounts before the 13th General Election.

Malaysiakini yesterday reported the former MCA President as throwing some light on where some of the RM2.6 billion in Najib’s personal bank accounts had gone to.

Chua recollected how Najib had in a BN Supreme Council meeting before the 13th general election made an “unprecedented pledge to fund BN component parties”. Continue reading “Barisan Nasional MPs in the PAC who have been beneficiaries in the RM2.6 billion Najib “donation” scandal should declare their pecuniary interests and withdraw from participation in any PAC discussion, decision or investigation into the twin mega scandals on 1MDB and RM2.6 billion ‘donation””

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The status and honour of the offices of the Prime Minister and Finance Minister had been tainted and besmirched when Najib answered on behalf of two “fugitives from justice” from a fully-owned government company SRC International who have absconded from the arms of the law for the past four months

The status and honour of the offices of the Prime Minister and Finance Minister had been tainted and besmirched when Datuk Seri Najib Razak answered in Parliament on behalf of two “fugitives from justice” from a fully-owned government company, SRC International, who have absconded from the arms of the law for the past four months.

On Oct 21, in his capacity as Finance Minister, Najib answered the DAP MP for Kulai, Teo Nie Ching, that based on information provided by SRC International, its managing director Nik Faisal Airiff Nik Othmann Kamil and director Datuk Suboh Mohd Yassin “are making preparations to be interviewed by MACC soonest to help in the investigations”.

This is most ludicrous and outrageous – not only as pointed out by Nie Ching, as if Nik Faisal and Suboh needed four months to prepare for the interview with MACC.

For some four months, both Nik Faisal and Subah had been “fugitives from justice”, absconding from the arms of the law in Malaysia, as since early July, the multi-agency Special Task Force into the 1MDB and RM2.6 billion “donation” mega scandals had not been able to locate both for purposes of investigation. Continue reading “The status and honour of the offices of the Prime Minister and Finance Minister had been tainted and besmirched when Najib answered on behalf of two “fugitives from justice” from a fully-owned government company SRC International who have absconded from the arms of the law for the past four months”

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As Najib’s Prime Minister popularity rating among Malay voters have fallen below 30%, the three million UMNO members must decide whether UMNO’s survival in the next general election will lie in having a new UMNO head and Prime Minister

It is reported today that at least 154 out of 191 UMNO division chiefs want the party’s supreme council to take against errant party leaders, referring to former Deputy Prime Minister and still Deputy UMNO President Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin, former Rural and Regional Development Minister and UMNO Vice President, Datuk Seri Shafie Apdal, and even former Prime Minister Tun Mahathir and former Cabinet Minister and former UMNO Secretary-General Tan Sri Sanusi Junid.

This is the result of an internal poll in UMNO conducted among 170 UMNO division leaders in an exclusive WhatsApp programme.

However, the result may be different if a poll is conducted among the three million UMNO members as it is becoming quite clear that for the first time since Merdeka, UMNO has never been so fragmented and fractured between the 300 UMNO chieftains versus the three million UMNO members.

The 300 UMNO chieftains are primarily Umno Supreme Council members and Umno division chiefs who are mostly in the pockets of the Prime Minister, Datuk Seri Najib Razak the majority of whom will toe the Najib line, as compared to the three million Umno members most of whom must be very embarrassed by the two Najib mega-scandals of the RM50 billion 1MDB and RM2.6 billion “donation”, and the lack of political will to resolve these two scandals until they mushroom to become international scandals, and the move to penalise UMNO leaders for speaking up against these two scandals.

All over the country, the question that is commonly asked is how long Najib can survive as the sixth Prime Minister of Malaysia, whether he would suffer the fate of his predecessor, Tun Abdullah in having to give up the Prime Ministership before the end of his term. Continue reading “As Najib’s Prime Minister popularity rating among Malay voters have fallen below 30%, the three million UMNO members must decide whether UMNO’s survival in the next general election will lie in having a new UMNO head and Prime Minister”

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What has the Najib government done in the past fortnight of parliamentary meetings to address the concern of Malay Rulers and Malaysian citizenry that IMBD investigations be completed “as soon as possible”?

Some three weeks ago, the Malay Rulers issued an unprecedented statement urging the government to complete the 1MDB investigations “as soon as possible” and to take “the appropriate stern action” against all found to be implicated.

Such crisis of confidence, among other things, have caused “the plunge in the value of the Malaysian Ringgit, impacting the country’s financial market and economic climate negatively and at the same time adversely affecting the world’s view of Malaysia” – and if not “wisely handled”, could “jeopardize the country’s economy and the livelihood of the people”.

The Malay Rulers wanted the findings of the investigations to be reported “comprehensively and in a transparent manner” so that the people will be convinced of the government’s sincerity not to conceal “facts and truth”, as such failure to give “convincing clarifications and answers…is feared to have resulted in a crisis of confidence”.

Although the language is somewhat convoluted, it is the result of trying to diplomatically convey the messages (i) that the Malay Rulers were very concerned at the worsening crisis of confidence caused by the two mega scandals in the nation’s history, the RM50 billion 1MDB and RM2.6 billion “donation” in Najib’s personal banking accounts, which had brought together a conjunction of political, economic, good governance and nation-building crises which threaten to produce the first “perfect storm” to hit Malaysia for six decades; and (ii) that the government had not conducted itself in a frank and transparent matter it should have done in these two mega-scandals.

What has the Najib government done in the 24 days since the Oct. 6 statement of the Malay Rulers, or in the past fortnight of parliamentary meetings, to address the concern of Malay Rulers and Malaysian citizenry that IMBD investigations be completed “as soon as possible”?

Absolutely nothing! Continue reading “What has the Najib government done in the past fortnight of parliamentary meetings to address the concern of Malay Rulers and Malaysian citizenry that IMBD investigations be completed “as soon as possible”?”

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Najib government too “economical with the truth” when it would not clarify after two weeks of Parliament whether Muhyiddin was right in his last speech as DPM three months ago that 1MDB scandal had mushroomed from RM42 billion to over RM50 billion

The Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak and his government were too “economical with the truth” when it would not clarify after two weeks of Parliament whether Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin was right in his last speech as Deputy Prime Minister to the Cheras UMNO Division three months ago that the 1MDB scandal had mushroomed from RM42 billion to over RM50 billion.

There was not a single reference whatsoever to the two mega scandals which had been dominating international headlines about Malaysia for the past few months, the RM50 billion 1MDB and RM2.6 billion “donation” in Najib’s personal banking accounts for the 13th General Election, in Najib’s much-awaited 2016 Budget – fully justifying Opposition MPs resorting to the unorthodox but very creative ploy of collectively displaying the placard “Mana RM2.6 billion” (Where is the RM2.6 billion) after Najib’s budget speech.

This action of Opposition MPs resonated in the hearts and minds of 30 million Malaysians, including the majority of the three million UMNO members, although there are those who excoriated such a creative ploy as “uncivilized”, as if they more Umno than Umno! Continue reading “Najib government too “economical with the truth” when it would not clarify after two weeks of Parliament whether Muhyiddin was right in his last speech as DPM three months ago that 1MDB scandal had mushroomed from RM42 billion to over RM50 billion”

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Najib set a bad, undesirable and unacceptable parliamentary precedent of choosing the date to answer parliamentary questions about 1MDB which will be followed by other Ministers undermining Parliamentary control over the Executive

The Prime Minister, Datuk Seri Najib Razak, has set a bad, undesirable and unacceptable parliamentary precedent of choosing the date to answer parliamentary questions about the twin mega scandals of RM50 billion 1MDB and RM2.6 billion “donation” in his personal bank accounts for the 13th General Election, undermining the important principle of parliamentary control over the Executive.

On the first day of the present parliamentary meeting on Monday, October 19, the Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department, Datuk Azalina Othman Said, in her replies to Members of Parliament including DAP MP for Bagan Lim Guan Eng and the DAP MP for Segambut Lim Lip Eng, said the government will answer questions about the RM2.6 billion donation received by Prime Minister Najib Abdul Razak and other related queries during the current sitting of Parliament.

She said the government will also answer questions related to the alleged missing US$993 million payment from 1MDB to International Petroleum Investment Co (IPIC) but the exact date for this would be determined later.

She said in written replies that answers to similar questions would be made at a date to be determined later, during this parliamentary session. Continue reading “Najib set a bad, undesirable and unacceptable parliamentary precedent of choosing the date to answer parliamentary questions about 1MDB which will be followed by other Ministers undermining Parliamentary control over the Executive”

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In debate on 2016 Budget, I would have urged PAC to summon Gani Patail and Hamid Bador to testify whether there was a draft corruption charge sheet against Prime Minister Najib related to 1MDB

The announcement by the new Chairman of the Public Accounts Committee (PAC), Datuk Hassan Arifin yesterday that the PAC will meet for the first time on Monday after a three-month interregnum is welcome, although parliamentary and public expectations of the PAC would not be as high as previously.

If I am taking part in the 2016 Budget debate, I would urge the PAC to do two things when it meets on Monday:

Firstly, for the PAC to set an example to Parliament with every PAC member declaring whether he or she has any pecuniary interest in the twin mega-scandals of RM50 billion 1MDB and RM2.6 billion “donation” in Prime Minister Najib Razak’s personal banking accounts for the 13th General Election, and those who have pecuniary interest in these two mega scandals should excuse themselves from participating in any PAC hearings on them.

Dewan Rakyat Standing Order 35(6) stipulates that “A Member shall not speak on any matter in which he has a direct personal pecuniary interest (other than the matter of remuneration under any provision of the Constitution) without disclosing the extent of that interest.”

If it is a breach of Parliamentary Standing Orders for an MP to speak on any matter without disclosing the extent of his or her pecuniary interest on the subject, it is all the more a violation of parliamentary privilege for a PAC member to be involved in any investigation into the twin mega scandals of RM50 billion 1MDB and RM2.6 billion “donation” for the 13th General Election if he or she has any pecuniary interest in the two financial scandals. Continue reading “In debate on 2016 Budget, I would have urged PAC to summon Gani Patail and Hamid Bador to testify whether there was a draft corruption charge sheet against Prime Minister Najib related to 1MDB”

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So, where did the RM2.6 billion go? Tell us, Najib

Phlip Rodrigues
Malaysiakini
25 Oct 2015

COMMENT When a sea of placards washed over the face of Prime Minister Najib Abdul Razak on Budget Day, it created huge waves in the annals of Malaysian politics. Never before in the history of parliamentary democracy had a prime minister had to face the ignominy of seeing his role flashed in loud, clear and bold message across the national stage.

For Parliament is the time-hallowed podium where the actions and thoughts of the elected representatives are in full play for all to see. What the opposition lawmakers did on that memorable day is an act of patriotism: they do not want to see the country destroyed by a prime minister whose every action is a tight slap on democracy.

Parliament is a fitting place to debate with intelligence and vigour the problems and ills of the country – be they social, economic, political. More importantly, it is the ideal arena to drill the prime minister on his deeds as the head of government.

But Najib chooses not to engage in the cut and thrust of political life, which is the hallmark of a healthy and vibrant democracy. Instead, he treats Parliament with contempt when he ignores the existence of the opposition and cares only for his own skewed views.

His words have become his laws and as a result, justice and truth have taken a terrible beating. He comes and goes as he wishes and most of the time, his seat, given by the people to serve the people, is left cold and empty. Continue reading “So, where did the RM2.6 billion go? Tell us, Najib”

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I would have asked Najib whether more than RM2.6 billion “donation” had been deposited into his personal banking accounts and if so, what was the final total of the “donation, if I had spoken on the 2016 Budget debate

At the launching of Pakatan Harapan Negri Sembilan in Seremban on Sunday night, I said that I would have advised the Prime Minister, Datuk Seri Najib Razak 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.

But before I made such a proposal, I would have asked Najib to “come clean” about the RM2.6 billion “donation” scandal, at least in five instances, viz:

1. Whether more than RM2.6 billion “donation” had been deposited into his personal banking account at AmBank, and if so, the total amount of “donation” that had been deposited into his personal account before the 13th General Election.

2. Who are the “donors” who deposited billions of ringgit into Najib’s personal banking accounts for the 13th General Election campaign funding.

3. The respective percentage and breakdown of these “donations” into foreign and local sources.

4. Who were the recipients and beneficiaries from these billions of “donations” deposited into Najib’s personal accounts, in particular those who are in the present Cabinet and Parliament, as well as the UMNO/BN candidates in the 2013 General Elections.

5. Whether he would submit all bank records of such “deposits” and payments to the Public Accounts Committee and the Attorney-General for investigation.

Continue reading “I would have asked Najib whether more than RM2.6 billion “donation” had been deposited into his personal banking accounts and if so, what was the final total of the “donation, if I had spoken on the 2016 Budget debate”