I was shocked to learn of “Superman” Hew Kuan Yau’s arrest by the police in Penang on my way from Parliament to Malim Nawar, on the basis of a police report by Johor Jaya MCA branch.

He will be brought down from Penang to Johor Baru by the police for investigations against him.

I visited Kuan Yau’s Facebook as it was the subject of Johor Jaya MCA police report report against Kuan Yaw.

I do not endorse Kuan Yaw’s language on his Facebook which is vulgar, vituperative and vitriotic but it is no crime, and definitely no basis to arrest him or to deploy scarce police resources against him.

On the way here, I read of the Open Letter by the second Finance Minister, Datuk Seri Johari Abdul Ghani to DAP MP for PJ Utara, Tony Pua, calling for “ceasefire” on the 1MDB scandal and suggesting that everybody should give the 1MDB scandal a “rest”.

While I look forward to Tony Pua’s reply to Johari tomorrow, I do not think that national interests will be served by giving a “rest” to the 1MDB international money-laundering scandal when every day the 1MDB scandal is making waves and news headlines all over the world – as it is the largest kleptocratic scandal in the world in recent times.

Last week, Johari said that the government could not press charges on the 1MDB scandal without a full picture.

I am shocked that the second Finance Minister is so naïve as to make such a statement.

The 1MDB is fully-owned by the Finance Ministry, which means everything known by the 1MDB must be known by the Finance Ministry.

Malaysians do not have the full story of the international multi-billion dollar 1MDB money-laundering scandal, but a fairly full story is available to the whole world since July last year through the US Department of Justice (DOJ) 126-page largest kleptocratic lawsuits to confiscate US$1 billion 1MDB-linked assets in the United States, United Kingdom and Switzerland arising from the US$3 billion 1MDB interntional money-laundering scandal.

I concede that as second finance minister, Johari may not have the full story of the 1MDB scandal. However, the Prime Minister and Finance Minister, Datuk Seri Najib Razak has the full story of the 1MDB scandal. Or is Najib prepared to deny this?

But is Johari prepared to confront Najib that as second finance minister he should be told the full story of the 1MDB scandal, or he would submit his instant resignation from the Cabinet?

Let Johari answer!

The next week is the last chance for over four million unregistered eligible voters to register so that they can vote in 14th General Election which may be held in September.

Since I first elected in Parliament in 1969, one of the issues I had raised was for the automatic registration of voters, which is quite commonplace in other countries but seems impossible in Malaysia.

Some 48 years have passed since I was first elected to Parliament to represent Bandar Melaka, but automatic registration of voters is still as distant as ever.

It would appear that we have one of the most incompetent and inefficient Election Commissions in the world which is incapable of have an efficient and up-to-date voters’ registration system.

Other countries can have a system where a voter can register today and vote tomorrow, but in Malaysia, the Election Commission needs some six months before it could process the registration and allow a voter to cast his or her vote.

This means that over four million Malaysians, who had not registered as voters, must register by the next week if they are to be able to exercise their constitutional right to vote if Parliament is dissolved for the 14th General Election to be held in September, after the government had generated nation-wide “feel good” factor with big celebrations for the 60th National Day celebrations on August 31, 2017.

I still cannot understand why it is not possible for the Election Commission to have an efficient and up-to-date voters’ registration system whereby a person can vote after one week, or at least after one month, of registration – instead of taking six long months.

There are still 10 days before the end of March. Why then am I saying that the next week may be the last chance for them to register if they are to be able to vote if 14GE is held in September?

This is because the registration after March 27 may not be taken into account for the final revision of the electoral roll to qualify to vote in September.

I had wanted to have the opportunity to meet the Election Commission Chairman and officials to find out why the Election Commission could not have a system where voters can vote after registering for one week, or at most after one month, and not six months at present, before they could cast their vote.

But the Election Commission Chairman is one of the most unco-operative Election Commission Chairman in Malaysian history, as the request of DAP MPs to have a meeting and discussion with him and other Election Commission officials on the electoral system have been turned down.

What has he got to hide?

No Election Commission Chairman in the past had refused to meet DAP leaders and MPs to discuss the Election Commission’s constitutional duties on the conduct of elections, which is most regrettable, for it seems to indicate that the 14GE is going to be most unfair and undemocratic in the nation’s history.

(Speech in a “Last Week of Voters’ Registration for 14GE” campaign in Malim Nawar, Perak on Monday, March 20, 2017 at 5 pm)