Former Prime Minister, Datuki Seri Najib Razak is trying to legitimise his “global kleptocracy” and the 1MDB scandal with a political comeback through a Barisan Nasional victory in the Cameron Highlands by-election.

This is obvious by two events.

Firstly, his “meet-the-supporters” session in Lembah Pantai, Kuala Lumpur yesterday where he was introduced as “a Prime Minister on vacation”; and secondly, the appearance of his eldest son, Nizar Najib, on the Barisan Nasional campaign trail of in the Cameron Highlands by-election. Although Nizar did not speak, he was introduced as one of the VIPs at an event at Pos Mensun, the hometown of the BN’s Cameron Highlands candidate Ramli Mohd Nor.

Najib was asked during his Kampung Kerinchi visit yesterday whether he would campaign for Barisan Nasional in the Cameron Highlands by-election, Najib played coy saying he was still considering whether to accept requests for him to do so from the Pahang Mentri Besar, Wan Rosdy Wan Ismail.

Najib should not be playing coy, for I have information that Najib’s campaigning for BN in the Cameron Highlands together with the Pahang Mentri Besar had already been fixed for January 18 and 19.

The first thing that Najib should do when he campaigns for BN in the Cameron Highlands by-election on Friday and Saturday is to apologise to the voters of Cameron Highlands for the BN money-politics and the corrupt election practices in the last General Election which resulted in the election result of the 14th General Election on May 9, 2018 to be declared null and void by the election court, causing the present by-election.

Najib’s appearance at the BN by-election campaign is the proper occasion for the Pahang Mentri Bersar who is also the Assemblyman for Jelai, Wan Rosdy to explain why he failed to appear before the election court to testify and rebut earlier testimony of BN money politics and corrupt election practices by Orang Asli witnesses although the election court hearing was postponed three times for Wan Rosdy to do so.

In the election appeal resulting in the Cameron Highlands result in the 14th Genefral Election being declared null and void, testimonies were adduced to prove that Tok Batins were required to deliver Orang Asli votes for Barisan Nasional from their respective kampongs – a clear violation and abuse of the democratic process.

The judgment of the election court judge, Justice Azizah binti Haji Nawawi named the Pahang Mentri Besar, Dato’ Wan Rosdy who is State Assemblyman for Jelai, and MP Sivarraajh as being involved in corrupt electoral practices in Orang Asli Posts and kampongs.

For instance, on 6th May 2018, Wan Rosdy and Sivarraajh visited Pos Lenjang using a helicopter and gave to theTok Batins approximately RM25,000 to be distributed to Orang Asli voters in their respective villages, apart from the payment of RM200 to each Batin.

Would Wan Rosli give an undertaking that such money-politics and corrupt election practices would not be repeated in the by-election, and no BN leader, including Najib, would be using a helicopter to campaign?

Isn’t it true that UMNO did not allow MIC to appeal against the election court judgment so that the corrupt electoral practices of Wan Rosdy would not attract greater publicity?

As Prime Minister and Chairman of Barisan Nasional during the 14th General Election, is Najib prepared to demonstrate “leadership by example” and apologise for the money politics and corrupt electoral practices in Jelai and Cameron Highlands during the 14th General Election?

It would appear that Najib had played a central role in the selection of Ramli Mohd Nor as the BN candidate in the Cameron Highlands by-election, which explains many hitherto vexed and perplexing questions about the by-election – why the MIC President, Senate President Tan Sri SA Vigneswaran acquiesced so easily to relinquish MIC candidature in Camerons Highlands and why the MCA President Datuk Seri Wee Ka Siong ordered a strong MCA show-of force to support Ramli during Nomination yesterday which was led by the MCA Deputy President, two MCA Vice Presidents, the MCA Secretary-General and the respective MCA Youth and Wanita chiefs despite all the earlier meaningless publicity of the MCA General Assembly calling for the dissolution of Barisan Nasional!

Whether Najib finally campaigns for the BN in the Cameron Highlands by-election, Najib’s kleptocratic premiership and the monstrous 1MDB corruption and money-laundering scandal must be the key issues of the by-election.

This is why I am asking for the third time whether the BN candidate, Ramli Mohd Nor is prepared to make the battle against corruption one of the foremost issues of the Cameron Highlands by-election, starting with his double condemnation of the 1MDB scandal and the Najib premiership for the infamy and ignominy which Malaysia suffered for several years for being condemned by whole world as a global kleptocracy.

(Media Statement by DAP MP for Iskandar Puteri Lim Kit Siang in Kuala Lumpur on Sunday 13th January 2019)