BY JIMMY PUAH
The Prime Minister, Datuk Seri Najib Razak’s speech during the Invest Malaysia Kuala Lumpur (IMKL) Annual Conference said that 1Malaysia Development Berhad’s (1MDB) rationalisation measures are running smoothly.
In fact, the Finance Minister also said that 1MDB’s assets has increased.
- It looks like Najib only dares to talk about the 1MDB issue outside of parliament. He is trying to obliterate his actions relating to 1MDB. He is also using Barisan Nasional’s (BN) ministers to block questions from members of parliament from the opposition regarding the issue.
Malaysia has a parliament for the government to answer every question on 1MDB but anything on 1MDB is not allowed! If it is true there is no misconduct in 1MDB, clarify it in the parliament and present all proofs to deny oppositions’ allegations.
It was sadistic when the Speaker rejected more than 30 questions on 1MDB on the first day of the Dewan Rakyat. Various questions were raised, among them, asking the Prime Minister to state who is the ‘Malaysian Official 1 (MO1)’, MO1’s wife and the complainant’s identity in the civil suit on 1MDB filed in the United States by its Department of Justice (DOJ). Perhaps DOJ has a malicious agenda to topple the Malaysian government.
But it is rejected according to Meeting Regulation 23 (1)(c) and 23 (1)(g) which states that, a question shall not contain any argument, conjecture, thoughts, accusation, commendation or condemnation which contain phrases that are confusing, insinuating or annoying, or with regard to any superficial matters or requesting explanation on trivial matters.
- How long does Najib wants to run away from these questions? How long does he want to use the parliament as a fort for self-defense? To me, this situation shows clearly that Najib is in a state of panic that he is able to talk about it only in international seminars.
- It is strange, foreign countries are talking and in fact investigating the 1MDB scandal involving Najib, his wife and acquaintances. How is it that in Malaysia, as the origin of 1MDB, there are no investigation done? It is as if nothing is happening.
- Nevertheless, I don’t deny, with the possibility of the 14th General Election (GE14) coming closer, making Najib restless, adding that he has yet to resolve economic issues such as the increasing cost of living, increase in prices of goods, imbalanced rise in petrol price and such issues.
- Citizens must open their eyes and see the Umno BN’s administration which is increasingly becoming haywire. What we are rejecting is the party leading the government.
The government will be there except there must be changes in the leadership and the citizens should give mandate to Pakatan Harapan (HARAPAN) to govern as a new government. Issues raise by citizens will consistently be heeded to find solutions until the country is back on track.
# Jimmy Puah is Bukit Batu Assemblyman and KEADILAN Johor Deputy Chairman.
