The secret letter by the Najib government seeking help from the US CIA in the 14th General Election highlights the question why the Najib administration had not protested or taken any action against the US Attorney-General Jeff Sessions’ public condemnation of the 1MDB corruption scandal at an international forum as “kleptocracy at its worst”.

This was as good as an international indictment of the US government telling the world that Najib, the then Prime Minister, was “kleptocrat at its worst” on the world stage.

Can Najib be in Parliament tomorrow to explain why his government did not defend itself against the “kleptocracy at its worst” charge by the US Government at an international forum last December, but five months later, five days before the 14th General Election, sent a secret letter to the CIA seeking support against Pakatan Harapan in case the election result turned out to be close?

The Persatuan Patriot Kebangsaan (Patriot) has described this secret letter, which was sent to the CIA on May 4 by the director general of the Research Division in the Prime Minister’s Department, Hasanah Abdul Hamid, as “treacherous and treasonable”.

Hasanah has been exposed as head of a powerful intelligence unit under the name of the Research Division in the Prime Minister’s Department, which is known publicly as the Malaysian External Intelligence Organisation (MEIO), with a staffing of some 300 intelligence officers. Hasanah herself referred to MEIO in her letter to the CIA.

It was reported yesterday that South Korea’s ousted President, Park Geun-Hye was given another eight years jail sentence for corruption to the 24 years’ imprisonment for abuse of power and corruption which was handed down in Ápril.

This implies that the ex-President will now be serving 32 years in jail.

Can the same thing happen in Malaysia?

This will be a crucial test of the rule of law and anti-corruption political will in Malaysia.

It is pertinent that world literature on kleptocracy makes no reference to Park Geun-Hye although Najib is cited, as in a search of kleptocracy in wikipaedia.

Will the 14th Parliament do justice to Malaysia’s good name and international standing damaged by the infamy, ignominy and iniquity of Malaysia regarded worldwide as a global kleptocracy?

This is one the greatest challenges of the 14th Parliament.

(Media Statement by DAP MP for Iskandar Puteri Lim Kit Siang in Gelang Patah on 21st July 2018)