Instead of spreading canards that DAP is anti-Malay and anti-Islam, it would be more useful and productive for the Prime Minister, Datuk Seri Najib Razak to explain his real relationship with the billionaire Jho Low in the 1MDB scandal which had overnight catapulted Malaysia into the stratosphere of a global kleptocracy with the single largest US and global action by the US Department of Justice (DOJ) to forfeit over US$1 billion 1MDB-linked assets in the United States, United Kingdom and Switzerland.

Or does Najib think that his expensive 1MDB caper was in the interests of upholding the rights, interests and glory of Malays and Islam in Malaysia?

In which case, let Najib state clearly who was making use of whom in the 1MDB scandal – Jho Low making use of Najib or Najib making use of Jho Low?

Who was taking who for a ride?

Was Jho Low the “mastermind” of the 1MDB global financial scandal, resulting in his named as one among the five persons, including Najib’s son-in-law, Hollywood film producer Riza Aziz, as defendants in the DOJ lawsuits to forfeit more than US$1 billion in assets, including about US$150 million of residential properties in New York and Los Angeles as well as several works of art, out of some US$3.5 billion stolen, embezzled, misappropriated and money-laundered from 1MDB funds, or was Najib the “mastermind” resulting in the reference to “MALAYSIAN OFFICIAL 1” 36 times in the 136-page DOJ complaint?

Can Najib disclaim responsibility and accountability for the 1MDB financial scandal when under Article 117 of the 1MDB Memorandum and Articles of Association (M&A), the Prime Minister is the ultimate authority who exercised final direct control of 1MDB, as Article 117 required all major decisions of the company involving financial commitment (including investment), restructuring and major appointments to have the written authorization from the Prime Minister.

Under Article 117, the Prime Minister has powers exceeding those of the Advisory Board, the Board of Directors and the Top Management of 1MDB all added together, being the final approving authority for all 1MDB decisions, deals, investments and transactions.

After causing Malaysia the “atomic bomb” explosion of the 1MDB scandal, haunting and hounding the public life and image of the country, whether nationally or internationally, for close to two years, the time has come for Malaysians to know the real relationship between Najib and Jho Low – a relationship which caused Malaysia’s new-found international infamy of a global kleptocracy!

One reason why the Public Accounts Committee (PAC) Report on 1MDB is incomplete and unsatisfactory (and should have the patriotism to re-open investigations in view of the DOJ lawsuits on July 20) is because of their ignoring two elephants in the room – Najib and Jho Low, when they were central and strategic to every phase of the 1MDB scandal.

I believe that the various UMNO divisional leaders and members would be more interested to know about the real nature of the Najib-Jho Low relationship and the 1MDB global scandal, instead of Najib repeating canards accusing DAP of being anti-Malay and anti-Islam.

Who better to talk about the real and true Najib-Jho Low relationship, especially as it affects the 1MDB global scandal, than the Prime Minister himself?

Why is Najib so coy about revealing the real Najib-Jho Low relationship?

Let me remind Najib that as Prime Minister of Malaysia, he should not indulge in the divisive and destructive politics of race, religion, hatred and lies against political opponents.

He must not be reduced to the level of Red Shirt demonstrators who had cast hell-notes so that DAP would die.

As leaders, let us set a good and exemplary standard and conduct.

For instance, I had never said that I wanted UMNO to die.

DAP does not want UMNO to die, but through the electoral contest, to reform and renew itself which can only occur if it is defeated at least once in general elections to mark Malaysia becoming a normal democratic country.

I have said many a time that UMNO/BN must be voted out of Putrajaya at least once if Malaysia is to become a normal democratic country and break the present national trajectory trending down the slippery slope towards a fractured, failed and rogue state.

No country in the world can become a great nation if globally it is regarded as an increasingly corrupt and dictatorial regime while at home it tightens its grip on power controls to allow for rampant corruption and widespread abuses of power.

Nobody wants UMNO to be destroyed, and I do not believe that UMNO is so frail, fragile and faulty that if it is evicted from Putrajaya in a general election, UMNO will perish and die.

On the contrary, I believe UMNO will have the vitality and resilience to reform and renew itself when it is out in the political wilderness to transform itself from a party serving the interests of UMNO leaders and their cronies into a party genuinely dedicated to the welfare of the three million UMNO members, the Malays and Malaysians at large.

DAP had never been anti-Malay and anti-Islam, which is completely unthinkable as we would then become anti-Malaysia, when we are a party for all Malaysians regardless of race, religion or region – evidenced from the fact that we have not only members and leaders but elected representatives from all racial groups and religions.

A true Malaysian patriot and nationalist cannot be anti any race or religion, whether anti-Malay, anti-Chinese, anti-Indian, anti-Kadazan, anti-Iban or anti-Islam, anti-Buddhism, anti-Christianity, anti-Hinduism, anti-Sikkhism or anti-Taoism.

This is because Malaysia is a plural society comprising diverse races and religions.

Malaysia’s challenge is to convince Malaysians, regardless race, religion and region, that what unite Malaysians are stronger and more important that what divide us.

As Prime Minister, Najib should set the lead and example to remind Malaysians that what unite us is more important that what divide us.

It is a national tragedy if the Prime Minister is doing the exact opposite, constantly reminding Malaysians that what divide us is more powerful and important that what unite us!