The Chairman of BN Back Benchers Club and former Cabinet Minister, Tan Sri Shahrir Samad is not doing his political credibility any service when he denounced former Cabinet Ministers, Datuk Seri Ahmad Husni Hanadzlah and Datuk Seri Shafie Apdal for asking questions about the 1MDB global financial scandal in the current debate in Parliament.

Shahrir should have praised Husni and Shafie for their conviction and principle for asking in Parliament when they could not get answers in the Cabinet about the 1MDB global financial scandal – which is particularly commendable in the case of Husni, who was appointed the Cabinet spokesman on 1MDB in the middle of last year.

When even the only Minister to be appointed Cabinet spokesman for 1MDB is in the dark about the many important transactions and decisions taken by 1MDB, is Shahrir seriously suggesting that it is a patriotic option for Husni to keep silent in Parliament about his worries, reservations and concerns about the 1MDB financial scandal?

In fact, the question Shahrir should answer as Chairman of BNBBC, former Cabinet Minister and one of the very few in UMNO/BN who claims to have principles and integrity is why he has not yet broken his silence on the 1MDB scandal?

Is Shahrir’s silence on the 1MDB scandal because he got doubts about the BBC interview of the Director of Barisan Nasional Strategic Communications Director, Datuk Abdul Rahman Dahlan that “MALAYSIAN OFFICIAL 1” (MO1”) referred to 36 times in the US Department of Justice (DOJ)’s biggest kleptocratic action to forfeit billion-dollar 1MDB-linked assets in the United States, United Kingdom and Switzerland is none other than the Prime Minister, Datuk Seri Najib Razak – making the Malaysian Prime Minister the newest kleptocrat in the world?

Or is it because Shahrir is a beneficiary of the 1MDB scandal – as he himself had admitted that he had received RM1 million from Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak’s RM2.6 billion personal accounts for the 13th General Election campaigning!

Would Shahrir agree that all UMNO/BN Ministers and MPs who had benefitted financially from the Prime Minister’s largesse in the 13th General Election should declare how much money they had received from Najib, and whether this was the reason why their mouths are totally clamped on the 1MDB scandal, whether in Parliament or outside?

Let all UMNO/BN Ministers and MPs declare the donations they received from Najib personal banking accounts for the 13GE, like Shahrir who got RM1 million, and whether this is the reason they are keeping dumb on 1MDB scandal!