The so-called “rebuttal” of the Foreign Minister, Datuk Seri Anifah Aman to the statement by the DAP MP for Kluang, Liew Chin Tong, asking for an explanation why Malaysia lost its bid for a seat on the United Nations Human Rights Council could be dismissed just as all “bluff and bluster signifying nothing”, as it completely failed to address Chin Tong’s question which is asked by all thinking Malaysians.

It is in fact another sad example of the atrocious English of Malaysia’s Cabinet Ministers.

Anifah should explain why Malaysia’s international reputation and human rights standing plunged so precipitately under Datuk Seri Najib Razak’s premiership as to lose 50 votes when compared to Malaysia’s second attempt to be elected to the UN Human Rights Council in 2010, when Malaysia secured 179 votes as compared to the measly 129 votes this time.

Apart from Malaysia’s increasing violation of human rights, when parliamentary democracy is used as a “fig leaf” to hide an increasingly undemocratic regime contemptuous of the most basic democratic rights and freedoms of Malaysians, I believe Malaysia’s ignominous results in the election to the UN Human Rights Council is related to the general lowering of world respect and standing for Malaysia as a result of Malaysia ascending the infamous pinnacle of a “global kleptocracy”!

This is why I had described Malaysia’s defeat for election to the UN Human Rights Council as “the kleptocratic chickens coming home to roost”, to the extent that Malaysia has lost out to greater human rights offenders like Pakistan, Qatar and Afghanistan in the region or even infamous human rights violators like Democratic Republic of Congo and Angola in the world.

I cannot think of an instance in recent times when Malaysia had been defeated in a UN vote for any elected position in the world body. Can Anifah clarify?

Anifah Aman should give a proper and satisfactory explantion for Malaysia’s latest diplomatic set back, whether this heralds the “coming of winter” for Malaysia’s international relations with the “kleptocratic chickens coming home to roost” – as a result of the international multi-billion dollar 1MDB money-laundering scandal which is beginning to “bite” adversely on Malaysia’s repute and good standing in the international community of nations.

Let Anifah present a Ministerial statement in Parliament next week as to what are the causes for Malaysia’s defeat in the election to the UN Human Rights Council, whether Malaysia’s disgraceful reputation as a global kleptocracy is beginning to have an adverse effect on Malaysia’s international relations, and what the Foreign Ministry proposes to do to clear or cleanse Malaysia’s of such infamy and ignominy as a global kleptocracy in the international arena.

(Media Statement in Kuala Lumpur on Friday, 20th October 2017)