Former Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak must be at his most contented and satisfied self since unexpectedly lost power as Malaysia’s sixth Prime Minister in the 14th General Election on May 9, 2018 – which he had expected Barisan Nasional to win easily, even to recapture two-thirds parliamentary majority which BN lost ten year ago.
This was why he asked why I am so obsessed with him as to repeatedly issue statements on him even though he is no longer the Prime Minister or UMNO President.
He posted photographs on his Facebook and said he was in Cameron Highlands “just to buy strawberries”.
Who would believe Najib?
I am not obsessed with Najib, but I think it would be the height of folly to ignore what is planned and plotted by a person who in his tenure as the sixth Prime Minister had singly destroyed the reputation painstakingly built up by Malaysians and the founders of Malaysia, including his father Tun Abdul Razak, causing Malaysia to be condemned by the world as a global kleptocracy and Malaysians to be so ashamed as to be shy to admit they were Malaysians when overseas.
But Najib seems to see light at the end of the tunnel, as he believes that the Cameron Highlands parliamentary by-election could pave the way for his political come-back and even return as Prime Minister in the 15th General Election which will give him immunity and impunity from the 39 criminal charges of corruption and abuses of power in connection with the 1MDB scandal – if he could drag out the cases against him for the next four-and-a-half years and avoid being sent to Sungai Buloh Prison before the 15th General Election.
This is why Najib is in Cameron Highlands, not to “buy strawberries” but to actively campaign for a victory for Barisan Nasional in the Cameron Highlands by-election.
There is only one person who could stitch together the intricate and complex Barisan Nasional strategy in the Cameron Highlands by-election, comprising at least five separate elements, viz:
1. The selection of the first Orang Asli parliamentary candidate but a non-member of any of the BN parties, Ramli Mohd Nor, by Barisan Nasional in the Cameron Highlands by-election on January 26;
2. The acquiescence of MIC to give up its traditional parliamentary seat in Cameron Highlands leaving it on the same level as MCA with only a solitary seat in Parliament;
3. The commitment of MCA to give support in the by-election despite the MCA leadership publicly clamouring for the dissolution of Barisan Nasional;
4. The support of the PAS leadership led by the PAS President, Datuk Seri Hadi Awang, for the Barisan Nasional campaign in the Cameron Highlands by-election.
5. Presentation of a united front, involving MCA, MIC, UMNO and PAS in the Barisan Nasional by-eleciton campaign in Cameron Highlands, although presented as for “Unity of Ummah” for Malay and Muslim voters.
No one except Najib, because of his clout as former Prime Minister, could stitch together such an intricate and complex united front of political parties especially with the recent pronouncement by PAS President, Datuk Seri Hadi Awang, before the Cameron Highlands by-election nomination on January 12 that Muslims must discharge their sacred duty to choose a Muslim leader over any non-Muslim leader at any time, with the very clear implication that a corrupt Muslim leader is any time better and preferable than a clean and honest non-Muslim leader.
As Najib said at his by-election campaign trail today, a Barisan Nasional win in the Cameron Highlands by-election could be a the start of Barisan Nasional’s rise from the ashes following its defeat at the 14th General Election.
Although Najib has been slapped with 39 criminal charges of corruption, embezzlement and abuses of power, if he could delay any final appellate decision of his charges and before implementation of any custodial jail sentence until the 15th General Election which must be held by 2023, he would be able to enjoy both immunity and impunity from the charges if BN can recapture Putrajaya in the 15th General Election and return as Prime Minister.
It would appear that his game plan to avoid Sungai Buloh Prison for the 1MDB scandal and crimes of a global kleptocracy during his premiership is working according to plan.
Will the Cameron Highlands by-election pave the way for the Najib game-plan to return as Prime Minister of Malaysia in the 15th General Election to secure both immunity and impunity for the 1MDB scandal, and is this the reason for the intricate and complex united front of UMNO, MCA, MIC and PAS in the Cameron Highlands by-election?
(Media Statement by DAP MP for Iskandar Puteri Lim Kit Siang in Habu, Cameron Highlands on Friday, 18th January 2019)
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Kenyataan Media oleh Ahli Parlimen DAP Iskandar Puteri Lim Kit Siang di Habu, Cameron Highlands pada Jumaat, 18 Januari 2019: Najib tentu berada dalam keadaan yang begitu selesa dan bahagia sekarang sejak kehilangan kuasa sebagai Perdana Menteri keenam Malaysia secara mengejut lapan bulan lalu Bekas Perdana Menteri Datuk Seri Najib Razak kini kelihatan begitu selesa dan bahagia sejak kehilangan kuasa sebagai Perdana Menteri Malaysia keenam secara mengejut pada Pilihan Raya Umum ke-14 (PRU14) 9 Mei 2018 – di mana beliau yakin Barisan Nasional akan memperoleh kemenangan mudah, malah optimis akan berjaya memperoleh dua pertiga majoriti Parlimen yang gagal diperolehi mereka sejak 10 lalu.
Ini adalah sebab kenapa beliau bertanya kepada saya mengapa saya begitu obses dengannya kerana kerap mengeluarkan kenyataan mengenainya walaupun kini sudah tidak lagi bergelar Perdana Menteri atau Presiden UMNO.
Beliau memuat naik gambar di Facebook dan berkata bahawa beliau di Cameron Highlands “hanya untuk membeli strawberi”.
Siapa yang akan percaya dengan Najib?
Saya tidak obses dengan Najib, namun saya fikir adalah tidak wajar untuk tidak ambil peduli terhadap rancangan seorang individu yang ketika menjawat jawatan Perdana menteri keenam, dengan tangannya sendiri, telah menghancurkan reputasi yang telah dibina oleh rakyat Malaysia serta bapa pengasas Malaysia, termasuk bapanya sendiri Tun Abdul Razak, sehingga menyebabkan Malaysia dikutuk oleh warga dunia sebagai kleptokrasi global dan rakyat Malaysia berasa begitu malu untuk mengaku mereka adalah warganegara Malaysia ketika berada di luar negara.
Namun Najib seolah-olah terjumpa cahaya di hujung terowong, kerana percaya yang PRK Cameron Highlands akan membuka laluan untuk beliau membuat “comeback” politik dan kembali menjadi Perdana Menteri pada PRU15 bagi “menghalalkan” segala kesalahannya temasuk 39 tuduhan rasuah dan salah guna kuasa membabitkan skandal 1MDB – jika beliau berjaya melambatkan-lambatkan perbicaraan terhadapnya untuk empat tahun setengah akan datang dan mengelak daripada dipenjarakan di Penjara Sungai Buloh sebelum PRU15.
Ini adalah sebab mengapa saya fikir Najib di Cameron Highlands bukan sekadar untuk membeli strawberi, tetapi sebaliknya untuk berkempen secara aktif bagi memastikan kemenangan BN pada PRK Cameron Highlands.
Hanya ada seorang individu yang mampu menganyam strategi rumit dan kompleks BN pada PRK Cameron Highlands, yang terdiri daripada lima elemen berasingan, iaitu: Pemilihan calon Parlimen dari kalangan Orang Asli pertama dalam sejarah BN dan bukan ahli gabungan itu, Ramli Mohd Nor, untuk bertanding pada PRK Cameron Highlands 26 Januari. MIC akur untuk lepaskan kerusi tradisi di Cameron Highlands, sekali gus mempunyai jumlah wakil rakyat yang sama dengan MCA di Parlimen, iaitu satu kerusi. Komitmen yang diberikan MCA pada PRK Cameron Highlands walaupun kepimpinan MCA mendesak agar BN dibubarkan; Sokongan kepimpinan PAS yang diketuai Presiden PAS, Datuk Seri Hadi Awang, untuk kempen BN pada PRK Cameron Highlands. Kesepakatan yang ditunjukkan oleh MCA, MIC, UMNO dan PAS dalam kempen BN pada PRK Cameron Highlands, walaupun UMNO sebenarnya mahu ia dilihat sebagai “Penyatuan Ummah” untuk pengundi Melayu dan Islam. Tidak ada seorang pun kecuali Najib, ekoran pengaruhnya sebagai bekas Perdana Menteri, mampu menyatukan parti-parti yang rumit dan kompleks itu, lebih-lebih lagi selepas pengumuman Presiden PAS, Datuk Seri Hadi Awang, sebelum hari penamaan calon PRK Cameron Highlands pada 12 Januari bahawa orang Islam yang korup lebih baik daripada orang bukan Islam yang jujur dan bersih.
Seperti yang dikatakan Najib dalam kempen di Cameron Highlands hari ini, kemenangan BN pada PRK Cameron Highlands akan menjadi permulaan untuk kebangkitan BN susulan kekalahan pada PRU14.
Walaupun Najib dikenakan 39 tuduhan rasuah, penggelapan wang dan salah guna kuasa, beliau boleh menangguhkan keputusan mahkamah dan hukuman penjara terhadapnya sehingga PRU15 yang akan berlangsung pada 2023, bagi membolehkan dirinya dibebaskan daripada segala tuduhan jika Putrajaya berjaya ditawan semula oleh BN pada PRU15 dan beliau kembali menjadi Perdana Menteri.
Nampaknya, rancangan beliau untuk mengelak daripada dipenjarakan di penjara Sungai Buloh atas skandal 1MDB dan jenayah kleptokrasi semasa pentadbirannya sedang berjalan lancar.
Adakah PRK Cameron Highlands ini akan membuka laluan untuk Najib melaksanakan rancangannya untuk kembali menduduki kuasa sebagai Perdana Menteri Malaysia pada PRU15 bagi menghalakan skandal 1MDB dan adakah ini sebabnya UMNO, MCA, MIC dan PAS bersatu dalam PRK Cameron Highlands?