(Speech at the opening of the new Triang DAP branch building in Triang, Pahang on Tuesday, 22nd May 2012 at 3 pm)
I was in the Kuala Lumpur court complex this morning where the Parliamentary Opposition Leader, Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim and PKR leaders Azmin Ali and Badrul Hisham were charged in connection with the Bersih 3.0 rally on April 28 which could result in their five-year disqualification from elective office and disenfranchisement in losing the civic right to stand for elective office whether as MP or State Assembly member if fined over RM2,000.
The Prime Minister, Datuk Seri Najib Razak will be the biggest loser in the prosecution of Anwar, Azmin and Badrul, the first case to be charged under the Peaceful Assembly Act (PAA), as it will totally discredit his various transformation programmes, in particular his Political Transformation Programme.
Pakatan Rakyat MPs have warned in Parliament that Najib’s promises to amend or repeal undemocratic and draconian laws and provisions contain the seeds of greater repression as the new laws and replacements provide for even more repressive measures – as in the case of the prosecution of Anwar, Azmin and Badrul under the PAA.
The prosecution also sends out a very clear message to Malaysians, and in particular to the hundreds of thousands of Malaysians, regardless of race, religion, region, class, gender or age who had gathered peacefully in Kuala Lumpur on April 28, armed at most with salt and water bottles to protect themselves from indiscriminate police shooting of tear gas and chemically-laced water cannon, with the unmistakable message to the Najib administration that they want clean elections for a clean Malaysia.
Najib’s message to them is one of utter contempt for their message to want to have clean elections and a clean Malaysia!
Najib should realise that he will have to pay a very heavy political price in the forthcoming general elections with such arrogance of power and contempt for the legitimate and ordinary aspirations of Malaysians transcending race, religion, region, class, gender or age.
Najib should take note that the former Solicitor-General II who headed the prosecution team against Anwar in the Sodomy II trial, Datuk Mohd Yusuf Zainal Abiden, has joined Anwar’s defence team headed by Karpal Singh.
If the Prime Minister cannot read and understand the implications of Yusuf’s joining the Anwar defence team, then he is not as politically astute as he should be.
The prosecution of Anwar, Azmin and Badrul is in fact the latest in the BN demonisation campaign against Bersih 3.0, polarising the ground instead of starting a process of national healing. I would reiterate my call to Najib to end the demonisation campaign of Bersih 3.0 to reagain public confidence and credibility or be prepared to pay a heavy political price in the forthcoming general elections.
#1 by yhsiew on Tuesday, 22 May 2012 - 6:29 pm
Najib is only a reformist pretender.
#2 by singa pura pura on Tuesday, 22 May 2012 - 7:24 pm
He revels in the belief that he is the progressive statesman of our Malaysian nation – regal, dignified, educated and above the floating grime of politics. He would have us believe that he has absolutely nothing to do with the ungodly 15-year persecution of Anwar Ibrahim, or the rhetoric bathing of daggers in a crimson tide, that he has remedied the executive molestation of the judiciary, and that the party he leads is opposed to that abhorrent group of ultras that is literarily ‘perkosa-ing’ the decent and right-thinking members of our society. That he is a reformist in politics and a reformed man in matters of the loin. That he never gave those orders that we so want to believe he did.
#3 by negarawan on Tuesday, 22 May 2012 - 7:37 pm
Najib, by serving beef burgers to a Hindu vegetarian, clearly shows that he deeply disrespect non-muslims in the country. By not opposing this horrendous act by UMNO, MIC is endorsing the desecration of Hindus. Is this the type of PM and government we want? A vote for UMNO/MIC/MCA is a vote for racism and religious bigotry to continue in Malaysia.
#4 by mauriyaII on Tuesday, 22 May 2012 - 8:31 pm
Najib’s principal adviser and strategist would have told him to charge those three, especially Anwar in the hope the servile judiciary would do his bidding and deprive them from elective office.
If Najib believes he can get a landslide victory without Anwar, Azmin Ali and Badrul Hisham standing as Pakatan Rakyat candidates in the 13th GE, he is sadly mistaken.
Those three and the 250 thousand others who participated in BERSIH 3.0 were just demanding a CLEAN AND FAIR ELECTION which is good for everyone and for the country to be recognized as one really practising “best democracy in the world”.
Just because the judiciary has been handing out pro-government verdicts does not necessarily mean that they would still dish out the same. There are many in the judiciary (the bench and bar included) who are totally frustrated at the way justice is dispensed with in the country. They may just put their foot down and say, “enough is enough”.
Malaysia is already a laughing stock among the global community with racist and religious bigots given a loose rein to do their worst. If the demonisation of Anwar and BERSIH continues with the connivance of Najib, the international backlash may not be that pleasant.
#5 by ENDANGERED HORNBILL on Tuesday, 22 May 2012 - 9:15 pm
It doesn’t take an idiot to see that Najib is really screwing himself up with all these silly persecutions. Nothing could e more puerile.
Najib deserves to lose for being so stupid.
#6 by negarawan on Tuesday, 22 May 2012 - 9:35 pm
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AJCw30O2gPg
Najip, you can hide but not forever. You are loosing respect not only in Malaysia but internationally. Do what is right and just for all Malaysian voters!
#7 by monsterball on Tuesday, 22 May 2012 - 10:20 pm
Najib is a compulsive liar and a flip flopper.
Remember …Mahathir’s ..”Clean, Efficient & Trustworthy” slogan?
Under his 22 years…nothing is clean nor efficient and can be trusted at all.
These are rouges and thieves.
They listen to no one.
Their trump card is hoping all Muslims can be fooled by them.
These racists is traveling
on a road of no return.
They have committed to many criminal acts.
A change is a confession they stole and killed.
Which crook will confess and accept jail sentences?
#8 by waterfrontcoolie on Tuesday, 22 May 2012 - 10:55 pm
They still play the records of the 50s, 60s,70s,& 80s when Facebook has linked up the whole world. They have even forgotten that they are in the 21st Century. I am not surprised that CheguBard is included. Here we have a rational man in his prime able to tell the REAL TRUTH to the rural folks of what BN is trying to con and spin fairy tales. Let have a few more young man like him explaining to the rural folks and I think the nation is ready for a real Change!
#9 by Jeffrey on Tuesday, 22 May 2012 - 11:44 pm
There are 2 problems here.
First the statement that prosecuting Anwar/Azmin under PAA will discredit Najib’s transformation programmes. It will only – if the prosecution is malicious when the duo are framed & innocent of charges under PAA. It will not if, on acts/evidence, they are guilty per the charges under PAA – even though the PAA law is viewed draconian. Draconian or not it is law passed by Parliament. Citizens cannot argue that they need not abide and are entitled to break any law that is draconian.
#10 by Jeffrey on Tuesday, 22 May 2012 - 11:48 pm
Continuing from preceding post under moderation- The second is a bigger problem – former solicitor-General II who headed the prosecution team against Anwar in the Sodomy II trial now joining Anwar’s defence team headed by Karpal Singh. Respectfully, this is not necessarily to Anwar’s advantage/Najib’s disadvantage. Reason: it is entrenched principle that no lawyer (govt or private) can -without issues of conflicts of interest raised- act for opposite sides (usually at the same time) but sometimes also at different times. The lawyer’s loyalty will be questioned. Where does it lie? Will he act for Anwar (with undivided loyalty now) when he had prosecuted him in sodomy II before? Conversely had he prosecuted with undivided loyalty for the govt during sodomy II (where High Court discharged Anwar) now that he’s seen defending Anwar? Look at the implications!
#11 by Jeffrey on Wednesday, 23 May 2012 - 12:00 am
Anwar will therefore unwittingly land himself in bigger problems (a baggage of integrity issues) if (for example) the line of approach/argument is (1) he can break PAA law if PAA law is draconian (this not true, one cannot break any law draconian or not – one’s position is morally justifiable only if he defends/resists a charge which is maliciously framed to make an innocent party guilty for political reasons); (2) it says a lot about govt’s sodomy charge if the one then prosecuting him now defends him. (2) is incorrect. It could be argued/interpreted that it says a lot about his acquittal if the one who prosecuted him then now defends him! Think about it!
#12 by Jeffrey on Wednesday, 23 May 2012 - 12:36 am
///If the Prime Minister cannot read and understand the implications of Yusuf’s joining the Anwar defence team, then he is not as politically astute as he should be.///
There’s another school of thought that says – that to avoid conflicts of interest/loyalties, a lawyer must not represent a client for the purpose of acting against the interests of a former client of the lawyer (say the government) unless:
(a) the former client is informed that the lawyer proposes to act for a client adverse in interest to the former client and the former client consents to the new representation, or
(b) the new representation is substantially unrelated to the lawyer’s representation of the former client, and the lawyer does not possess confidential information arising from the representation of the former client that might reasonably affect the new representation.
Now our Bar Council (which the govt has earlier accused of being politically partisan in its resolution against police in Bersih 3.0) is, in my humble view, unnecessarily compelled (in my view) to come out to take an impartial & politically neutral stand and public statement on this new representation (lest the earlier accusation of political partisanship is reinforced)…
#13 by Jeffrey on Wednesday, 23 May 2012 - 12:55 am
Typo error in 3rd sentence from bottom – ” Bersih 3.0 to reagain public confidence ” – what is intended is “regain”.
#14 by k1980 on Wednesday, 23 May 2012 - 1:29 am
http://www.malaysia-chronicle.com/index.php?option=com_k2&view=item&id=33508:mat-sabu-riding-on-najibs-appeal-may-do-more-harm-now&Itemid=2
French public prosecutors had obtained a copy of a fax page dated June 1, 2001, in which Najib, the then Defence minister, had sought a payment of US$1 billion for Perimekar, a company owned by Abdul Razak Baginda.
#15 by monsterball on Wednesday, 23 May 2012 - 2:39 am
Najib said many times….
“Trust me. I am with you. I am People’s PM.”…..and so 250,000 People took to the streets to give him a message…what is the reaction???
NOTHING….not one bit of concern.
What a bloody liar he is.
Not one word uttered was sincere at all.
“TRUST ME!!” Remember that and of course …don’t forget…his famous…”I help you. You help me.”….RM5 million promised…lost the election…I wonder did he give the RM5 million as promised.
I think he has labelled Rajang Park voters as traitors…and so…no money???
#16 by monsterball on Wednesday, 23 May 2012 - 2:50 am
He went to hawkers.
He ate hawker food..to show again..he is People’s PM.
He cuddled and pat babies and children….to show he is PM for all races…..YET….he gave millions ONLY to Malay farmers.
Digest that.
I guess his advisers must have told him…
“No good. Those hawkers will vote for PR”
“Make life miserable for Anwar”…was his order.
And so….back to court to answer stupid charges.
Anwar must be holding Malaysian Guinness Record for the Malaysian with most court cases.
That will not work to win votes for him.
It will backfire again.
What will be his next move?
Enjoy the clown performing.
#17 by yhsiew on Wednesday, 23 May 2012 - 7:23 am
Najib has two big worries – French court and Anwar. Maybe he thinks once he get Anwar “subdued”, he then can concentrate on tackling the French court.
#18 by boh-liao on Wednesday, 23 May 2012 - 8:13 am
NR not afraid of Facebook n digital media – he is confident d Internet CAN b JAMMED, just like during 428, phone connections jammed, train stations closed 2 frustrate rakyat
Not only AI, AA, BH charged, UmnoB/BN also after others among d 300K there on 428
#19 by Bigjoe on Wednesday, 23 May 2012 - 8:23 am
They have lost the plot completely.. Peaceful Assembly Act – really? I would have just charged them under breaching municipal order or something else? Charging them with Peaceful Assembly Act merely just confrim the Peaceful Assembly Act was a facade in the first place – crap in your own house, mess up your own handiwork.
All it does is built Anwar’s legend of being able to take apart UMNO even in his worst days..
#20 by Jeffrey on Wednesday, 23 May 2012 - 8:27 am
According to Malaysiakini’s Hafiz Yatim’s report o 22nd May Anwar said “Yusof’s participation shows that he does not condone this … politically-motivated charge (under PAA)…His willingness to join the defence team is a clear perception that not all in the government condone such action.” Does not this so called symbolic act of showing how persons of integrity (even though previously from govt) are willing to now defend him against a politically motivated charge under PAA cut the opposite way to show the same persons of ‘integrity’ prosecuting him before for sodomy charge imply the sodomy charge against him was NOT politically motivated (that’s why he had no compunction then to prosecute)? Worse still the other implication, did he then prosecute the sodomy charge to the best of his ability (which as govt lawyer paid by tax monies) he then ought to, in light of the sodomy charge being dismissed by High Court? Was the Court’s dismissal of sodomy charge entirely due to lack of legal basis for the charge/Anwar’s innocence or the then prosecutor’s lack of effort to prosecute diligently? See the permutations of how it could be interpreted the other way?
#21 by dagen wanna "ABU" on Wednesday, 23 May 2012 - 8:44 am
Umno is so deeply submerged in wrongdoings and so tightly bound by its own idiotic and extremely stupid greed that in its perspective no decision can ever be right for the situation. Every decision umno makes is bound to be wrong somehow. And even indecision would be wrong. So the only choice left for umno is to pick (well hopefully) a decision which is, relatively speaking, less wrong.
Jib, charging the three is definately a much wronger decision than going along with bersih’s various demands.