Adakah Najib bersetuju, dengan merancang Selasa Hitam 28 Julai 2015 dan Minggu Pemecatan Besar-besaran, beliau bertanggungjawab dalam melakukan satu perbuatan yang paling merosakkan kepada demokrasi berparlimen dalam sejarah Malaysia?

Mantan Perdana Menteri Najib Razak berasa tidak senang apabila saya menggelarkan beliau sebagai seorang penakut.

Berikut adalah apa yang saya katakan semalam:

“Najib berkata semalam bahawa saya tidak mempunyai sebarang kredibiliti langsung selepas menolak jemputan berdebat dengannya.

“Mengikut logik Najib, dia tidak berhak langsung untuk membuka mulut selepas kehilangan semua kredibilitinya setelah melarikan diri daripada perdebatan “Nothing-to-Hide” dengan Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad berkenaan skandal 1MDB, memalukan dirinya di persada dunia dengan menarik diri dari memberikan ucapan pembukaan Persidangan Anti-Rasuah Antarabangsa (IACC) pada September 2015 yang dihadiri oleh ribuan delegasi daripada lebih 130 negara, dan bertidak untuk keluar daripada wawancara bersama dengan Mary Ann Jolley yang disiarkan Al-Jazeera pada Oktober tahun lepas, suatu insiden yang amat memalukan. “

Adakah Najib bersetuju, dalam kesemua empat situasi ini, beliau adalah penakut yang sebenarnya? Jika tidak, mengapa?

Sedangkan menteri di Jabatan Perdana Menteri Najib sendiri yang telah mengumumkan kepada delegasi IACC pada 16 September 2015 bahawa Najib telah menarik diri daripada persidangan tersebut atas nasihat menterinya kerana beliau takut ditanya soalan sukar daripada 1000 delegasi yang hadir.

Adakah Paul Low menipu?

Mana-mana individu yang mempunyai kebolehan untuk membezakan baik dan buruk tidak akan membuat kenyataan di Facebook seperti yang dibuat oleh Najib.

Jika Najib mempunyai masalah pemahaman, itu bukanlah masalah saya.

Walau bagaimanapun, saya bersedia untuk mengabaikan kesilapannya, kerana saya tidak pernah berminat pun dengan kepelikan peribadi seseorang itu, biarlah semasa dia masih seorang Perdana Menteri ataupun sebagai mantan Perdana Menteri.

Apa yang lebih utama yang berkaitan dengan kepentingan negara adalah sama ada Najib bersetuju bahawa berikutan tindakannya dalam merancang Hari Selasa Hitam 28 Julai dan Minggu Pemecatan Besar-besaran, beliau telah melakukan perbuatan yang paling merosakkan dalam sejarah demokrasi berparlimen negara ini, di mana prinsip demokrasi berperlembagaan, bersama dengan kebebasan dan profesionalisme pelbagai institusi penting negara — termasuklah Parlimen, Kabinet Menteri, Pejabat Peguam Negara, PDRM, Bank Negara, Suruhanjaya Pencegahan Rasuah Malaysia, Jabatan Audit Negara, dan media massa — diserang bertubi-tubi?



Jika Najib tidak bersetuju, bolehkah beliau memberikan contoh lain di mana pernah berlaku kerosakan yang jauh lebih teruk daripada yang dilakukan beliau dalam sejarah negara ini?



Saya tertarik dengan satu persoalan iaitu mengapakah Minggu Pemecatan Besar-besaran ini dilancarkan pada hari selasa 28 Julai 2015 dan bukan hari Isnin sebelumnya. Minggu Pemecatan Besar-besaran ini telah merekodkan kudeta Najib yang termasuk pemecatan Timbalan Perdana Menteri Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin; Menteri Pembangunan Luar Bandar, Datuk Seri Shafie Apdal; Peguam Negara Tan Sri Gani Patail; pelantikan Apandi Ali sebagai peguam negara yang bertentangan dengan perlembagaan, pelantikan pak turut ke dalam Kabinet Najib untuk mencuci bersih peranan Najib dalam skandal 1MDB, serta penundukan institusi negara untuk menyebarkan naratif 1MDB Najib.



Pada minggu yang sebelumnya, antara 24-26 Julai 2015, ibu kota telah dibanjiri dengan khabar angin bahawa bekas Peguam Negara, Gani Patail, dengan sokongan Pengerusi SPRM, Abu Kassim Mohamad telah bersedia untuk menangkap Najib di atas tuduhan rasuah.



Saya sendiri ada terdengar khabar angin ini, tetapi saya rasa tidak mungkin seseorang seperti Najib, dengan jaringan dan peralatan perintipannya yang begitu meluas, tidak terdengar khabar angin tersebut. 



Tidak ada apa-apa yang berlaku pada hari Isnin, 27 haribulan. Tetapi, pada 28 haribulan, “Selasa Hitam”, Najib lancarkan serangannya.



Mengapakah berlakunya kelewatan tersebut?



Apandi mengaku pada 29 Julai 2015 yang beliau diberitahu mengenai pelantikannya sebagai Peguam Negara pada hari Ahad 26 Julai 2015, lantas membuatkan beliau meletakkan jawatan Hakim Mahkamah Persekutuannya secara tergesa-gesa. 



Inilah sebabnya kenapa Minggu Pemecatan Besar-besaran ini tidak bermula pada hari Isnin 26 Julai, kerana ianya sangatlah ganjil untuk memecat Gani tanpa pengganti yang bersedia untuk mengambil alih, sungguhpun pemecatan itu secara zahirnya tidak berperlembagaan — Apandi perlu memberikan notis 24 jam untuk peletakan jawatannya sebagai Hakim Mahkamah Persekutuan. 



Adalah jelas sekarang, bahawa sepanjang hujung minggu sebelum Minggu Pemecatan Besar-besaran, semasa ibu kota dibanjiri khabar angin yang Gani bersedia untuk mendakwa Najib atas tuduhan rasuah, Najib sedang bersiap sedia membuat rancangan untuk menyelamatkan diri, mengelakkan diri dari ditangkap seorang Peguam Negara yang telah berkhidmat di bawah 3 Perdana Menteri, dan melancarkan kudeta mengukuhkan kuasanya sebagai “pemerintah kleptokratik yang terunggul”. 



Jika Apandi telah diberitahu pada malam 26 Julai mengenai rancangan pelantikannya sebagai Peguam Negara untuk menggantikan Gani, tidakkah terdetik untuk beliau bertanya mengapa Gani dipecat tanpa mengikut perlembagaan?



Bilakah Najib mula merancang kudeta ini dan siapakah yang bersubahat dengannya dalam merancang Minggu Pemecatan Besar-besaran ini?

Secara kebetulan, dilaporkan semalam bahawa Apandi kini bebas untuk pergi ke United Kingdom bagi menghadiri majlis penerimaan masuk anak tirinya sebagai peguam bertauliah.

Beliau telah dimaklumkan melalui sepucuk surat bertarikh 8 Mei daripada Kementerian Dalam Negeri dan Jabatan Imigresen bahawa larangan perjalanan beliau telah ditarik balik.

Negara ini telah mempunyai 10 Peguam Negara sejak Hari Merdeka 1957 (termasuklah Peguam Negara semasa, Tommy Thomas), tetapi Apandi mempunyai suatu tempat yang istimewa di kalangan semua Peguam Negara atas pelbagai sebab, antaranya:

– Dilantik selepas pemecatan tidak berperlembagaan Peguam Negara sebelumnya, yang merupakan satu pencabulan terhadap komitmen Malaysia terhadap semangat berperlembagaan dan keluhuran undang-undang;
– Peranan beliau sebagai orang suruhan Najib bagi membawa era kegelapan, di mana rakyat dan institusi negara yang sepatutnya menjadi pelindung kepada Malaysia yang demokratik diserang secara bertubi-tubi;
– Peranan beliau dalam menutup kisahbenar kleptokrasi Najib dan skandal 1MDB dan menghalang kerjasama dengan 10 negara lain dalam usaha menyiasat jenayah skandal 1MDB;
– Halangan dan keengganan beliau untuk meletak jawatan secara bermaruah selepas berlakunya peralihan kuasa dalam Kerajaan Persekutuan pada 9 Mei 2018, dan sekatan perjalanan yang dikenakan pada beliau selama hampir setahun selepas beliau meletakkan jawatan.

Apandi haruslah menjawab semua persoalan mengenai peranan buruk beliau sebagai Peguam Negara kesembilan sebelum beliau keluar negara untuk menghadiri majlis pelantikan anak tirinya sebagai peguam bertauliah di United Kingdom. 



Bagi rakyat Malaysia, kita tidak harus melupai sejarah gelap ini dan sentiasa beringat kepada amaran Santayana yang berbunyi “Mereka yang melupakan sejarahnya akan mengulanginya”.



Kempen Malu Apa Bossku akan menjadi satu ujian bagi rakyat Malaysia, sama ada kita akan mengulangi kesilapan kita dalam membiarkan kerosakan dan kleptokrasi berleluasa atau belajar daripada kesilapan ini untuk masa hadapan.

(Kenyataan media Ahli Parlimen DAP Iskandar Puteri Lim Kit Siang di Gelang Patah pada hari Jumaat 31 Mei 2019)

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Former Prime Minister Najib Razak is very upset I have used the word “chicken” on him.

This is what I said yesterday:

“Najib said yesterday that I had ‘lost all credibility’ after turning down a debate with him.

“By Najib’s logic, Najib would not even have the right even to open his mouth to utter a single word as he had more than ‘lost all credibility’ running away from two ‘Nothing-to-Hide’ confrontations with Tun Dr. Mahathir Mohamad on the 1MDB scandal, disgraced himself internationally when he chickened out of delivering a key-note opening address for the 16th International Anti-Corruption Conference (IACC) in Putrajaya on Sept. 2 -4, 2015 attended by over 1,000 delegates from 130 countries, and the infamous walkout of Al Jazeera interview in October last year with interviewer Mary Ann Jolley.”

Does Najib agree that in all these four instances, he had “chickened” out – which made him a “chicken” four-fold? If not, why not.

In fact, it was Najib’s Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department, Paul Low, who told the 16th IACC in September 2015 that Najib had “chickened” out of the Conference after he had advised Najib to make the last-minute pull-out from officiating the IACC opening for fear of “hostile” reception and “hard questions” from the 1,000 delegates from 130 countries.

Was Paul Low telling a lie?

In any event, any intelligent person with average faculty of understanding would not have made the Facebook posting after reading my statement as Najib had done.

It is not my responsibility that Najib has got comprehension problems.

Be that as it may, I am prepared to overlook his faux pas as I am never interested in the personal idiosyncrasy of anyone, be he the Prime Minister or former Prime Minister.

What is more pertinent and important, relating to national interests and going beyond anyone’s personal idiosyncrasies, is whether Najib would agree that in orchestrating Black Tuesday on 28th July 2015 and the Week of Long Knives he was guilty of the most detrimental acts to parliamentary democracy in Malaysian history, where democratic constitutional principles were attacked as well as important national institutions with regard to their independence, impartiality and professionalism – including Parliament, the Cabinet, the Attorney-General’s Chambers, Police, Bank Negara, the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission, the Auditor-General, the Press – came under relentless assault?

If Najib does not agree, can he cite another episode in the history of democracy of Malaysia which is more deleterious and detrimental to parliamentary democracy in Malaysia than the Black Tuesday of July 28, 2015 and the Week of Long Knives?

It had always intrigued me why Najib’s Week of Long Knives – which marked his coup d’etat resulting in the sacking of the Deputy Prime Minister, Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin; the Minister for Regional and Rural Development, Datuk Seri Shafie Apdal; Attorney-General Tan Sri Gani Patail; unconstitutional appointment of Mohamad Apandi Ali as Attorney-General; appointment of sycophants into the Cabinet as Najib’s “spin doctors” to whitewash his role in the 1MDB scandal; the cowing and subjugation of national institutions to be subservient to Najib’s 1MDB narrative – was launched on Tuesday July 28 and not on Monday July 27.

This was because by the previous weekend of the Week of Long Knives from July 24 – 26, 2015, the Federal capital was awash with rumours that the then Attorney-General Gani Patail, with the full support of the Chief Commissioner of the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission, Abu Kassim Mohamad were ready to arrest Najib and prosecute him on corruption charges.

I myself heard of these rumours, and I told myself that it was impossible that Najib, with his numerous intelligence apparatus, was unaware of these rumours that he would be a “sitting duck” for such corruption prosecution.

Nothing happened on Monday, July 27. But on Black Tuesday, July 28, Najib struck.

Why the delay?

Apandi had admitted on July 29, 2015 that he was only informed of his new appointment as Attorney-General on Sunday (July 26) night which caused him to hastily submit his resignation as Federal Court judge.

So, that was the reason why the Week of Long Knives did not commence on Monday July 27, for it would be most invidious indeed to sack Gani without a replacement, however unconstitutional this would be – as Apandi needed to give 24 hours’ notice of resignation as Federal Court judge.

It is now evident that in the weekend before the Week of Long Knives, when the Federal Capital was awash with rumours that Gani was making his final move to charge and prosecute Najib for corruption, Najib was not inactive either and he was himself finalising plans to marshal his forces to save his premiership, pre-empt his arrest by his Attorney-General who had served three Prime Ministers and execute his coup d’etat starting with the Week of Long Knives to become the unquestioned kleptocratic ruler in Malaysia.

If Apandi was informed on the night of Sunday, July 26, 2015 that he would be the new Attorney-General to replace Gani, did he inquire of the circumstances for Gani’s unconstitutional sacking?

When did Najib start to plan his coup d’etat and who were Najib’s plotters in the undemocratic putsch in the Week of the Long Knives?

By coincidence, it was reported yesterday that Apandi is now free to travel to the United Kingdom to attend the ceremony to mark his stepson being called to the Bar.

He had been informed in a letter dated May 8 by the Home Ministry and Immigration Department that his travel ban had been rescinded.

The country has had ten Attorney-Generals since Merdeka in 1957 (including the present AG Tommy Thomas), but Apandi occupies a special place for many reasons, including:

· Appointed after the unconstitutional sacking of his predecessor, which was a serious affront to Malaysia’s commitment to uphold constitutionalism and the rule of law;

· His role as Najib’s hatchet man to usher a new dark age subjecting national institutions and Malaysians to a wave of attacks instead of being the nation’s sentinel to ensure an “enlightened and democratic” Malaysia.

· His role in the cover-up of Najib’s kleptocracy and the 1MDB scandal, blocking co-operation with criminal investigations by over 10 countries into the 1MDB scandal.

· His obstruction and refusal to resign honourably and with dignity as Attorney-General when there was a change of Federal Government in Putrajaya as a result of the historic 14th General Election decision on May 9, 2018, and subject of a travel ban overseas for nearly a year after he stepped down as Attorney-General.

Let Apandi answer all queries about his infamous role as ninth Attorney-General before he leaves Malaysia for the United Kingdom for his stepson’s call to the Bar.

For Malaysians, we must never become a people forgetful about the lessons of history as we must be mindful of Santayana’s warning that ““Those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it”.

Najib’s “Malu Apa Bossku” campaign will be a test whether Malaysians are condemned to repeat the mistakes of the past or whether we can learn from the lessons of being condemned by the world as a global kleptocracy.

(Media Statement by DAP MP for Iskandar Puteri Lim Kit Siang in Gelang Patah on Friday, 31st May 2019)