I fully support the sentiment expressed by the Prime Minister, Datuk Seri Najib Razak in his congratulatory speech in conjunction with the birthday of Yang di Pertuan Agong Sultan Muhamad V at Istana Negara in Kuala Lumpur yesterday.
The Prime Minister said Malaysia must always raise the bar higher to enable the country to stay ahead and create more success stories and developments.
He said in the government’s effort to make the Malaysia Digital Policy a success and to prepare the nation for the Fourth Industrial Revolution era, Malaysia had no choice but to dare and convince itself that the country was able to leap further than usual.
“Meaning to say, from now on, our achievements should be able to go beyond the usual or (in other words) we must always raise the bar high and continue to keep it that way for Malaysia.
“With that, Malaysia will eventually be known not only as a role model to Muslim countries but also as a reference to others as a highly respected High Income Advanced Economy country.”
Amanah President Mohamad Sabu asked a very pertinent question when opening the Selangor Amanah convention in Ampang this morning.
He asked why is the DAP at the forefront fighting graft instead of Muslims, referring to religious leaders who supported Barisan Nasional and legitimised corruption like the international multi-billion dollar 1MDB money-laundering scandal and Malaysia becoming a global kleptocracy!
Is this the way for Malaysia to become “a role model to Muslim countries” as well as the “High Income Advanced Economy country”?
Can Najib cite a single “High Income Advanced Economy country” which is regarded worldwide as on the level of Malaysia in terms of corruption, at there is no need to even mention the infamy and ignominy of a “global kleptocracy”?
Is Najib prepared to admit that Malaysia as a “global kleptocracy” is no “success story” for Malaysia but a tale of shame, infamy and ignominy?
I challenge Najib to compete with Pakatan Harapan to raise the bar higher for Malaysia to achieve and excel and not to plunge Malaysia into an unprecedented low as reducing Malaysia into a global kleptocracy.
Yesterday, at the first anniversary of Parti Pribumi Bersatu Malaysia (PPBM) in Muar, the PPBM President, Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin called for institutional reforms including term limits for the office of Prime Minister to limit the Prime Minister to two terms to ensure that the Prime Minister cannot abuse his powers for personal gain.
This would mean that there cannot be another Prime Minister who could be Prime Minister for 22 years like the fourth Malaysian Prime Minister, Tun Dr. Mahathir Mohamad, who was Prime Minister from 1981 to 2003.
The very fact that Mahathir has supported term limits for the post of Prime Minister as well as other institutional reforms shows that the former Prime Minister has learnt from the mistakes and faults of the past, and that Malaysia must constantly raise the bar higher to make Malaysia a role model of democracy, justice, the rule of law and harmony in a plural society to the world.
I believe it is not just DAP, but all right-thinking Malaysians, who will support institutional and systemic reforms like term-limits for the office of Prime Minister, limitations on the Prime Minister’s powers to appoint heads of various institutions like the Chief Justice, Attorney-General, the Inspector-General of Police, the Chief Commissioner of Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) and the Election Commission Chairman.
Is Najib prepared to compete with Pakatan Harapan to raise the bar higher for Malaysia to become a role model for the world as a functioning and meaningful democracy, the rule of law, the separation of powers among the Exectuive, the Legislature and the Judiciary, where the Prime Minister’s powers are subject to meaningful checks and balances?
I fully endorse Muhyiddin’s speech yesterday that the 1MDB scandal has shown how the Prime Minister’s influence and powers stifle the independence of public institutions like the MACC, the Attorney-General’s Chambers, the MACC, the Police and even Parliament and the Judiciary.
Is Najib prepared to compete with Pakatan Harapan to ever raise the bar higher for Malaysian democracy and rule of law by convening a special one-week session of Parliament to specifically debate the 1MDB scandal and Malaysia being reduced to a global kleptocracy?
[Speech at the DAP ceramah in Pantai Remis on Sunday, Sept. 10, 2017 at 9 pm]