Replying to the former Prime Minister, Tun Dr. Mahathir Mohamad who said at the Pakatan Harapan Ceramah “Sayangi Malaysia, Hapus Kleptokrasi” in Shah Alam on Monday night that if Pakatan Harapan forms the government after the next general election, it would summon the Attorney-General, Tan Sri Mohamed Apandi Ali over the allegation that he used the Official Secrets Act (OSA) to hide evidence in the 1MDB scandal, Apandi replied:
“I do not fear anyone, including Mahathir. I don’t fear human beings, but I fear Allah.”
If Apandi is so God-fearing, he should not be Attorney-General of a global kleptocracy.
Let me remind Apandi of the following Quranic injunctions:
“Do not act wickedly in the land spreading corruption, disorder or mischief. [Quran 2.60]”;
“Do not confound the truth with falsehood, nor knowingly hide the truth [Quran 2.42]”.
Yesterday, Mahathir challenged the Prime Minister, Datuk Najib Razak to join him at the “Nothing to Hide 2.0” forum next month in answering allegations of misconduct in their respective premierships.
Mahathir said he will be answering all questions asked of him, including whether he himself had stolen any public funds.
He said Najib should attend, too, and give answers or make accusations against him.
Mahathir said: “We will give explanations to everyone.”
It would appear that Najib’s answer to Mahathir’s challenge is the announcement of the membership and terms of reference of the Royal Commission of Inquiry (RCI)into the Bank Negara forex losses a quarter of a century ago.
Up to now, Najib has failed to respond to the question uppermost in everybody’s mind, why there is a RCI into Bank Negara forex losses a quarter of a century ago, but no RCI into a bigger, more monstrous and very current financial scandal, the international multi-billion dollar 1MDB money-laundering scandal which made Malaysia overnight into a global kleptocracy?
Why “nothing to hide” investigation into the Bank Negara forex losses a quarter of a century ago but no “nothing to hide” investigation into the 1MDB international money-laundering scandal which had made Malaysia into a global kleptocracy?
It would appear from the three-month time-frame for the RCI to complete its inquiry, that the RCI into the Bank Negara forex losses was specially tailored for the 14th General Election to help Najib fight Mahathir.
This will be another gross abuse of powers by Najib, his Cabinet and his Attorney-General in having a RCI into Bank Negara forex losses a quarter of a century ago but not a RCI into a greater and more monstrous financial scandal.
What Najib and his Cabinet should do is to also have a RCI into the 1MDB scandal with a similar time-frame to finish investigations within three months!
(Media Statement in Putrajaya on Wednesday, 19th July 2017)