Kit Siang says the objective of the Cabinet reshuffle was to interfere and stymie full investigations into the 1MDB scandal and the WSJ allegations
KUALA LUMPUR: DAP elder statesman Lim Kit Siang has called for an emergency meeting of Parliament before August 31, Independence Day for the peninsula and Sabah, for a confidence vote on Prime Minister Najib Abdul Razak and his new Cabinet.
The sudden sacking of the Attorney-General before his due retirement date in October, added Lim, raises the question whether the objective of the Cabinet reshuffle was to interfere and stymie full investigations into the 1MDB scandal and the WSJ allegations.
He said a confidence vote would ensure comprehensive and unfettered investigations into the 1MDB scandal and the Wall Street Journal report on Friday 3 July that nearly USD700 million entered Najib’s personal banking accounts with AmBank Islamic private banking services before the last General Election. “It appears to the people that history would be made in anti-corruption efforts, where only ‘ikan bilis’ would be picked up, and ‘ikan yus’ – the sharks – spared.”
“It will be interesting to find out whether Umno Deputy President, Muhyiddin Yassin, who had been sacked as Deputy Prime Minister and Education Minister for speaking out on the 1MDB scandal, as well as others sacked in Tuesday’s reshuffle, are prepared to vote in a confidence motion in favour of Najib as Prime Minister,” said Lim who is also DAP Parliamentary Leader and Gelang Patah MP.
He was commenting on the sacking of Muhyiddin and four other Ministers, following the shocking sacking earlier of Attorney- General Abdul Gani Patail more than two months before his retirement on 6t October. “This is the latest panic efforts to salvage the rapidly sinking Umno/BN coalition which had governed this country for 58 years.”
The Cabinet reshuffle on Tuesday, said Lim, has been described as “rearranging the furniture on the sinking Titanic”.
“History will vindicate this description.”
The sine qua non dictating the sudden Cabinet reshuffle was not any higher notions of taking Malaysia to greater political, economic, educational and social heights of achievement, continued Lim, but purely to consolidate Najib’s power position by removing all possible threats to his political survival. “At present, the single greatest threat to Najib’s power position is undoubtedly the monstrous 1MDB scandal.”
In one fell swoop, Lim charged, with the unconstitutional sacking of the Attorney-General and the removal of the outspoken Chairman and three Umno/BN members of the Public Accounts Committee (PAC), efforts to pry open the 1MDB scandal suffered full body blows.
The Cabinet reshuffle, he reiterated, was not designed to produce a more competent, efficient and professional Cabinet. “It would not save Malaysia from becoming a failed state. There’s rampant corruption, socio-economic inefficiencies and injustice. There’s no good governance.”
The Cabinet reshuffle, he argued, was to give Najib a new lease of political life by removing from the Cabinet, ministers who are seen as threatening his political future by demanding that he should give a proper public explanation and accountability for the RM42 billion 1MDB scandal and the allegation in the Wall Street Journal.
Working under a thick cloud of suspicion about its independence and professionalism, said Lim, the multi-agency Special Task Force on the 1MDB scandal and the WSJ allegations appeared to be making headway in trying to bring to book those responsible for the biggest financial scandal in the country, and affecting the top-most levels of government.
Source: http://www.freemalaysiatoday.com/category/nation/2015/07/28/rearranging-the-furniture-on-the-sinking-titanic/
