Together with three DAP MPs, Teresa Kok (Seputeh), Zairil Khir Johari (Bukit Bendera) and Steven Sim (Bukit Mertajam), we made a five-day visit to Jakarta and Jogjarkata to meet with leaders of political parties and Islamic organisations as well as public intellectuals to understand the development of Islam and democracy, and the dangers of Islamic extremism, in a country with the largest Muslim population of some 220 million out of a national population of 250 million people.

One thing that struck us during the discussions we had during our visit in Jakarta and Jogjarkarta was the central place of Pancasila among the major Indonesian political and intellectual leaders in the nation-building process in the country, as compared to Malaysia, where the “establishment” political and intellectual leaders have virtually forgotten about the Malaysian counterpart to Pancasila, the Rukun Negara!

Leaders of the two largest Muslim organisations in Indonesia, Nahdlatul Ulama (NU) and Muhammadiyah, have no qualms in publicly stating, whether in private discussions or public forums, that their commitment to Pancasila was an important reason why the Islamic State concept was not suitable or appropriate for Indonesia, although it has the largest number of Muslims for any country in the world!

How many Malaysian political and intellectual leaders in the country are still committed to the five principles of Rukunegara, viz:

• Belief in God.
• Loyalty to King and Country.
• Upholding the Constitution.
• Rule of Law.
• Good Behaviour and morality.

Even the Barisan Nasional Supreme Council, which had its rare meeting on Friday, had forgotten about the Constitution and Rukunegara, and betrayed the principles entrenched and enunciated in the Constitution, the Malaysia Agreement 1963 and Rukunegara by failing to reaffirm the Barisan Nasional’s consensus and commitment to the Constitution, Malaysia Agreement and Rukunegara principles of not supporting the private member’s bill motion of the PAS President, Datuk Seri Hadi Awang which would enabled hudud implementation in the country.

Although Sarawak BN secretary-general Dr. Stephen Rundi had declared that all BN MPs in Sarawak would vote against Hadi’s bill, and the Foreign Minister, Anifah Seri Aman from Sabah had declared that he would oppose Hadi’s private member’s bill motion, why are the MCA, Gerakan and MIC leaders unable to get the BN Supreme Council to come out with a clear-cut stand to reaffirm the Barisan Nasional consensus and commitment to uphold Constitution, the Malaysian Agreement and Rukunegara and guarantee no repetition of what happened in Parliament in May with the undertaking that Barisan Nasional would not provide any support to Hadi’s private member’s bill?

When the Barisan Nasional Supreme Council, which is the highest decision-making body of BN, remained undecided on whether to uphold its consensus and commitment to remain true to the Constitution, the Malaysia Agreement and Rukunegara, it was tantamount to a betrayal of earlier BN consensus and commitment to uphold the Constitution, the Malaysia Agreement and Rukunegara
In fact, if the all the five principles of the Rukunegara are strictly adhered to by political and intellectual leaders in Malaysia, the country would have been spared the worst problems of racial and religious extremism and polarization in Malaysia, as well as being looked askance in international society as a global kleptocracy!

If all the five Rukunegara principles of Belief in God, Loyalty to King and Country, Upholding the Constitution, Rule of Law and Good Behaviour and Morality had directed, guided and informed the decisions and actions of the country’s political leaders, there is no way for Malaysia to degenerate in the esteem of the international society as to become a “global kleptocracy”, or for Malaysians to take in lightly or indifferently when stained with such a “global kleptocracy” appellation without taking immediate action to purge the country of such a shameful and humiliating reputation.

This is why I call on the Prime Minister, Datuk Seri Najib Razak to seek parliamentary support through a motion when Parliament reconvenes on Oct 17 to refute the damning allegation that Malaysia has become a global kleptocracy.

Dare Najib move such a motion in the first week of Parliament starting on Oct. 17, or does he feel no shame, remorse or responsibility for the nation to be stained with the infamy of being known as a “global kleptocracy”?

Or is the real reason that Najib has no confidence that he could get unanimous parliamentary support for a motion refuting the Malaysia is a global kleptocracy?

DAP and Pakatan Harapan MPs are open minded, and we are prepared to be convinced by Najib to refute the allegation that Malaysia is a “global kleptocracy” based on facts and figures.

Is Najib capable of persuading Parliament to secure unanimous parliamentary support for a motion to refute the allegation that Malaysia is a global kleptocracy?

(Speech at the joint DAP Sibu Mooncake Festival-cum-Support/Sympathy/Solidarity with Lim Guan Eng Thousand-People Dinner in Sibu on Sunday, 25th September 2016 at 9 pm)