Former Prime Minister, Datuk Seri Najib Razak, cannot be more wrong when he claimed that the election court had declared that RM20 “petrol money” was bribery but the even more important questions are Najib’s motives for such a bizarre claim.

Is it to ensure a new culture of integrity and zero tolerance for corruption in Malaysia or is it to frustrate such an effort?

One must admire Najib’s impudence and temerity for trying to use RM20 “petrol money” for Orang Asli to whitewash his RM50 billion 1MDB corruption and money-laundering scandal and kleptocratic premiership, but faced with 39 criminal charges (undoubtedly with more criminal charges to come) and accused of siphoning off billions from 1MDB, what has Najib got to lose in adopting the most bizarre diversionary tactics?

Already, the new MCA President, Datuk Wee Ka Siong, had already fallen hook, line and sinker for this gambit as evidenced from his statement after a dialogue session with the Barisan Nasional candidate Ramli Mohd Nor in Brichang on Sunday.

Wee worked himself up into a hysteria over the reimbursement of RM20 each to some 60 Orang Asli motorcylists while remaining blind and unconcerned to the monstrous RM50 billion 1MDB corruption and money-laundering scandal of Datuk Seri Najib Razak!

Can I remind Wee that RM20 each is legitimate reimbursement for some 60 Orang Asli motor-cyclists who came out from remote Orang Asli kampongs especially from the Jelai area to Tanah Rata on Saturday for Nomination, while the RM50 billion 1MDB scandal is not legitimate at all, as it is theft, corruption and daylight robbery of the people’s money!

Can I also remind Wee that RM50 billion is 2.5 billion times more than RM20 – a classic case of MCA blindness to kleptocracy, immorality and wrongdoing in Malaysia, the real reason why MCA was virtually wiped out in the 14th General Election and reduced from a 7/11 political party in the 13th General Election to a mosquito party with only one MP?

Did the Election Court decide that “petrol money” was bribery?

It was fortunate that Najib did not study law or he would have failed his law examinations as he seemed unable to understand the simplest logic in legal arguments and judgements.

Deliberately or otherwise, Najib had misquoted and distorted the judgement of the election judge Justice Azizah Nawawi who declared the Cameron Highlands election in the 14th General Election null and void in claiming that she had said in her judgement that “money” whether as “duit rokok” or “duit minyak” constituted bribery.

She did not make such ruling.

In actual fact, the election judge said in her judgment:

“62. There is a pattern of giving money to the voters, during the crucial period before the election, which to me can only mean to induce the elector to vote. The money was given when the Respondent (former MP C. Sivaaajh) and the Dato’ Wan Rosdy were actively campaigning in the said areas under the BN banner. Added to that, the evidence of PW10 and PW11 shows that they had received the money together with the voting slips with BN logo, and this was confirmed by the Respondent’s witness, RW3 who had admitted that BN did distribute the slips. To me, it is clear that these surrounding circumstances led me to the inevitable conclusion that the money was given to induce the voter to vote.

“63. Therefore, it does not matter if the Respondent say that the money was given as ‘duit rokok’ or as travelling allowances for the Batin to attend the meeting with the Respondent and Dato’ Wan Rosdy, as these are merely to disguise the real intention for the giving of money before the election.”

What the Election Court judge said and implied is very clear except to Najib and his cronies.

She said that money used to induce voters to vote for anyone political party is bribery, even if claimed to be “duit rokok” or “duit petrol”, but otherwise if used legitimately in the election campaign not meant to induce the voter to vote.

In the relevant case of the Cameron Highlands election in May 2018, Sivararrajh and Wan Rosdy visited Pos Lenjang on 6.5.2018 by a helicopter and distributed RM25,000 to the Batins to distribute to all voters in their respective villages, while each Batin received RM200.

It must have been quite a smoking session in Pos Lenjang last May – spending RM25,000 for “duit rokok”!

Why is Najib jumping into the fray in Cameron Highlands by-election with the fictitious claim that the Election Judge had ruled that RM20 petrol money is bribery?

There are three reasons:

Firstly, to divert attention as to why the Cameron Highlands by-election was held, i.e. because of money politics and corrupt electoral practices.

Secondly, to distract attention from current Barisan Nasional campaign to use money politics and corrupt electoral practices to win the Cameron Highlands by-election.

Thirdly, to use the Cameron Highlands by-election as a platform to legitimise Najib’s kleptocratic rule and in particular to “whitewash” the international 1MDB scandal.

Suddenly, the Cameron Highlands by-election has taken on not only national significance but international importance, as Najib wants the Cameron Highlands by-election to be a referendum on whether he is a thief and a kleptocrat!

Let me say that if Najib wants to make the Cameron Highlands by-election a referendum on whether he is a kleptocrat and whether the 1MDB scandal was an act of national betrayal on his part, let him first come clean on the 1MDB scandal and other 1MDB-line scandals in FELDA, Felcra, MARA and Tabung Haji.

Former MCA President, Datuk Seri Dr. Chua Soi Lek is on public record as saying that before the 13th General Election, Najib made an unprecedented pledge at a Barisan Nasional Supreme Council meeting to fund BN component parties.

Chua said: “I must admit, during the BN supreme council meeting approaching the May 5 general elections, he (Najib) in his capacity as prime minister and BN chairperson, did reveal that in that election, BN will support its component parties’ finances.

“I remembered clearly, I was the first to thank him.

“So everyone agreed and many thanked him. When the election came, he delivered – he was able to disburse some funds (to the component parties).”

Let Najib make a clean breast of how much millions he gave to each BN party and politician for the 13th General Election.

In his Opinion piece “A different type of ‘Operasi Lalang’?”, Malaysiakini columnist Nathaniel Tan wrote he was “a little disappointing to see someone with the stature and overall commitment to the integrity of Lim Kit Siang” said he had checked with other DAP leaders present at the dialogue with Orang Aslis where PKR Senator Bob Manolan Mohd had made a controversial statement, and confirmed that there were no threats to the Batins if they do not vote for Pakatan Harapan.

PKR Vice President Tian Chua has apologised on behalf of his party for “unintended careless statements” made by PKR Senator Bob Manolan while Bob Manolan had himself apologised for “excessive” remarks.

Why did I phoned DAP leaders who were present at the dialogue, namely the MP for Raub and Deputy Water, Land and Natural Resources Minister Tengku Zulpuri Shah Raja Puji, the MP for Bentong, Wong Tak, Sabah Senator Adrian Lasimbang and Selangor State Assembly woman Young Syefura to ask on what actually happened, at the dialogue at Pos Betau and whether there was any threat to the Tok Batins for not voting for Pakatan Harapan?

And if there were threats to the Batins, why were there applause from the Orang Asli when Bob Manolan spoke?

PKR President Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim, and the DAP Secretary-General and Finance Minister Lim Guan Eng had swiftly declared that there is no coercion in democracy and that the Batins will continue to receive their salaries as there should be no threat and no intimidation in the Cameron Highlands by-election.

Manoloan could not have really threatened the Batins that they their salaries will be stopped if they do not vote for Pakatan for the simple reason that Batins are not appointed by the Federal Government but by Adat Orang Asli.

Bob made the “unintended careless” statement, not during his speech at the dialogue, but during the question-and-answer session as he was asked who paid the salaries of Batins, as they had understood from the Pahang Mentri Besar that the salaries of Batin come from the State Government and not the Federal Governhment, and they should therefore do the bidding of the State Government.

All Orang Ali voters must be able to freely vote for the party of their choice, whether Batins or ordinary villages – and what we want is to create an atmosphere where such fair, free and clean elections by the Orang Asli voters can take place.

But this is not the case in the Orang Asli kampongs, where the majority of Orang Asli voters are subjected to Barisan Nasional’s politics of fear and money – to the extent that only four out of 18 Batins turned up at the dialogue in Pos Betau with Pakatan Harapan leaders.

(Media Statement by DAP MP for Iskandar Puteri Lim Kit Siang in Kuala Lumpur on Tuesday, 15th January 2019)

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Kenyataan Media oleh Ahli Parlimen DAP Iskandar Puteri Lim Kit Siang di Kuala Lumpur pada Selasa, 15 Januari 2019:

Najib salah besar apabila mendakwa Mahkamah Pilihan Raya telah mengisytiharkan bayaran balik “duit petrol” sebanyak RM20 adalah rasuah, namun persoalan yang lebih penting adalah: apakah motif Najib membuat dakwaan pelik seumpama itu?

Bekas Perdana Menteri, Datuk Seri Najib Razak salah besar apabila mendakwa Mahkamah Pilihan Raya telah mengisytiharkan bayaran balik “duit petrol” sebanyak RM20 adalah rasuah, namun persoalan yang lebih penting adalah: apakah motif di sebalik dakwaan pelik tersebut?

Adakah ia untuk mewujudkan budaya baharu berlandaskan integriti dan toleransi sifar terhadap rasuah di Malaysia atau ia sebenarnya helah untuk mengekang usaha berkenaan?

Kita harus mengagumi tindakan Najib yang cuba menutup skandal RM50 bilion 1MDB dan 39 pertuduhan jenayah yang dihadapinya dengan dakwaan bahawa bayaran balik “duit petrol” sebanyak RM20 itu kononnya adalah salah satu bentuk rasuah.

Malah, Presiden MCA, Datuk Wee Ka Siong sendiri sudah termakan umpan, seperti yang dapat dilihat dalam sesi dialog dengan calon Barisan Nasional, Ramli Mohd Nor di Brichang pada Ahad lalu.

Pada acara itu, Wee kelihatan beria-ria mengatakan yang bayaran balik sebanyak RM20 setiap seorang kepada 60 Orang Asli yang menunggang motosikal untuk ke Tanah Rata pada hari penamaan calon sebagai suatu bentuk rasuah, sedangkan beliau sendiri menutup sebelah mata terhadap skandal rasuah RM50 bilion 1MDB dan skandal pengubahan wang haram membabitkan Najib.

Ingin saya ingatkan Wee bahawa bayaran balik berjumlah RM20 kepada kira-kira 60 Orang Asli yang membuat perjalanan jauh dari kampung mereka ke Tanah Rata pada hari penamaan calon adalah sah dan tidak melanggar Akta Kesalahan Pilihan Raya, sebaliknya skandal RM50 bilion 1MDB itulah yang merupakan amalan rasuah terang-terangan!

Suka juga untuk saya beritahu Wee bahawa jumlah RM50 bilion itu adalah 2.5 bilion kali ganda daripada nilai sekeping nota RM20 – hakikat yang enggan difahami MCA sehingga menyebabkan parti itu kini menjadi parti nyamuk yang hanya mempunyai seorang wakil rakyat di Parlimen.

Benarkah Mahkamah Pilihan Raya ada memutuskan yang bayaran balik “duit minyak” merupakan suatu bentuk rasuah?

Amat malang bagi Najib kerana tidak pernah mendalami bidang undang-undang, atau jika beliau mempelajarinya sekali pun, sudah tentu beliau gagal dalam peperiksaan undang-undang ekoran gagal memahami logik mudah dalam penghakiman dan hujah undang-undang.

Najib telah salah tafsir dan memutarbelitkan penghakiman Hakim Azizah Nawawi yang mengisytiharkan keputusan pilihan raya Cameron Highlands pada Pilihan Raya Umum ke-14 yang lalu terbatal dengan mendakwa Hakim dalam penghakimannya menyatakan bahawa “duit” sama ada dalam bentuk “duit rokok” atau “duit minyak” adalah sebahagian daripada rasuah.

Hakim Azizah tidak pernah membuat penghakiman sebegitu.

Sebaliknya, beliau berkata seperti berikut dalam penghakimannya:

“62. Terdapat contoh pemberian duit kepada pengundi, semasa tempoh genting sebelum pilihan raya, yang bagi saya bermaksud untuk memujuk pengundi untuk mengundi. Duit itu diberikan semasa Responden (bekas Ahli Parlimen Cameron Highlands C. Sivarraajh) dan Dato’ Wan Rosdy sedang aktif berkempen di kawasan berkenaan di bawah bendera BN. Tambahan pula, bukti daripada PW10 dan PW11 menunjukkan yang mereka telah menerima duit bersama-sama slip undi dengan logo BN, dan ini disahkan oleh saksi Responden, RW3 yang mana mengakui bahawa BN ada mengagih-agihkan slip berkenaan. Bagi saya, adalah jelas bahawa wang tersebut diberikan untuk memujuk pengundi untuk mengundi.

“63. Justeru itu, tidak kira sama ada Responden mengatakan bahawa wang yang diberikan itu adalah ‘duit rokok’ atau elaun perjalanan untuk Tok Batin menghadiri mesyuarat dengan Responden dan Dato’ Wan Rosdy, kerana ia hanyalah cara untuk menyembunyikan niat sebenar bagi memberi duit sebelum pilihan raya.”

Apa yang dikatakan oleh Hakim berkenaan sangat jelas. Namun, Najib dan para kroninya buat-buat tidak faham.

Hakim Azizah berkata duit yang digunakan untuk memujuk pengundi untuk mengundi mana-mana parti politik adalah satu bentuk rasuah, sekalipun ia dianggap sebagai “duit rokok” atau “duit petrol”, namun begitu, ia sah jika digunakan tanpa niat untuk memujuk pengundi untuk mengundi.

Pada Mei 2018, Sivaraajh dan Wan Rosdy melawat Pos Lenjang pada 6.5.2018 dengan menaiki helikopter dan mengagihkan RM25,000 kepada Tok Batin untuk kemudiannya diagih-agihkan kepada semua pengundi di setiap kampung, sementara setiap Tok Batin menerima RM200 setiap seorang.

“Duit rokok” apa agaknya yang memakan jumlah begitu besar!

Mengapa agaknya Najib mereka-reka cerita bahawa Hakim kononnya memutuskan bahawa bayaran balik “duit petrol” sebanyak RM20 sebagai rasuah?

Terdapat tiga sebab:

Pertama, untuk mengalihkan perhatian terhadap punca sebenar PRK Cameron Highlands diadakan. Seperti semua sedia maklum, ia diadakan kerana wujud kegiatan politik wang dan amalan rasuah.

Kedua, bagi mengalihkan perhatian pengundi daripada kempen Barisan Nasional bagi memudahkan mereka melakukan kegiatan politik wang dan rasuah untuk menang PRK Cameron Highlands.

Ketiga, untuk menjadikan PRK Cameron Highlands sebagai landasan untuk mengabsahkan pentadbiran kleptokratik Najib dan membersih skandal antarabangsa 1MDB.

Tiba-tiba, PRK Cameron Highlands bukan sahaja menjadi sesuatu yang penting di peringkat negara, malah di persada dunia, kerana Najib kini mahu menjadikan PRK Cameron Highlands sebagai satu referendum untuk menentukan sama ada beliau pencuri dan seorang kleptokrat ataupun tidak!

Ingin saya katakan di sini, jika Najib mahu menjadikan PRK Cameron Highlands sebagai referendum, adalah baik kiranya untuk beliau terlebih dahulu menjelaskan secara tuntas mengenai skandal 1MDB dan skandal serupa 1MDB yang melibatkan FELDA, Felcra, MARA dan Tabung Haji.

Bekas Presiden MCA, Datuk Seri Dr Chua Soi Lek sebelum PRU13 berkata, Najib pada mesyuarat Ahli Jawatankuasa Tertinggi Barisan Nasional memaklumkan bahawa BN akan membiayai semua parti komponennya dalam pilihan raya berkenaan.

Kata Chua: “Saya perlu akui, semasa mesyuarat ahli jawatankuasa tertinggi BN menjelang pilihan raya umum 5 Mei, beliau (Najib) atas kapasitinya selaku Perdana Menteri dan pengerusi BN, mendedahkan bahawa dalam pilihan raya tersebut, BN akan membiayai kewangan komponen parti.

“Jadi mereka bersetuju dan ramai yang mengucapkan terima kasih kepada beliau. Tiba hari pilihan raya, beliau tunai janji – beliau mengagihkan beberapa peruntukan (kepada parti komponen).”

Adalah wajar sekiranya Najib menjelaskan berapakah jumlah yang telah diberikan oleh beliau kepada setiap ahli politik dan parti komponen BN untuk kegunaan menghadapi PRU13.

Dalam rencana bertajuk “A different type of ‘Operasi Lalang’?”, kolumnis Malaysiakini Nathaniel Tan menulis yang beliau “agak kecewa melihat seseorang berkedudukan tinggi seperti Lim Kit Siang yang berkomited terhadap nilai integrity” berkata bahawa beliau telah bertanyakan kepada pemimpin DAP lain yang hadir pada dialog dengan Orang Asli di mana Senator PKR Bob Manolan membuat kenyataan kontroversi tersebut, dan mengesahkan bahawa tiada tindakan mengugut Tok Batin jika mereka tidak mengundi Pakatan Harapan.

Naib Presiden PKR Tian Chua sudah memohon maaf bagi pihak partinya di atas “kenyataan cuai yang tidak disengajakan” yang dibuat oleh Bon Manolan, malah Bob Manolan sendiri sudah memohon maaf atas kenyataannya yang dilihat “berlebihan”.

Mengapakah saya menghubungi pemimpin DAP yang hadir pada dialog tersebut, antaranya Ahli Parlimen Raub yang juga merupakan Timbalan Menteri Air, Tanah dan Sumber Asli Tengku Zulpuri Shah Raja Puji; Ahli Parlimen Bentong, Wong Tak; Senator Adrian Lasimbang dan Adun Ketari, Young Syefura untuk mendapat gambaran sebenar situasi tersebut?

Dan jika benar terdapat ugutan terhadap Tok Batin, mengapa hadirin yang terdiri daripada Orang Asli tepuk tangan apabila Bob Manolan berucap?

Presiden PKR Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim dan Setiausaha Agung DAP merangkap Menteri Kewangan Lim Guan Eng dengan pantasnya telah menegaskan bahawa tidak ujudnya paksaan dalam demokrasi, dan Tok Batik akan tetap menerima elaun mereka.
Bob membuat kenyataan “cuai yang tidak disengajakan itu” bukan semasa beliau memberikan ucapan, tetapi dalam sesi soal jawab ketika beliau ditanya siapa yang membayar gaji Tok Batin, kerana mereka difahamkan oleh Menteri Besar Pahang bahawa gaji Tok Batin dibayar oleh kerajaan negeri dan bukannya oleh kerajaan persekutuan, dan justeru itu mereka diminta akur kepada arahan kerajaan negeri.

Pengundi Orang Asli wajar diberikan kebebasan untuk mengundi parti yang menjadi pilihan mereka, sama ada Tok Batin atau penduduk kampung – apa yang kami mahu adalah untuk mewujudkan suasana pilihan raya yang adil, bebas dan bersih untuk Orang Asli turut serta.

Namun ia tidak berlaku, pengundi Orang Asli masih dimomokkan dengan politik wang dan ketakutan yang dimainkan oleh Barisan Nasional – sehinggakan hanya empat daripada 18 Tok Batin hadir pada acara dialog bersama-sama pemimpin Pakatan Harapan di Pos Betau.