Poor Abdul Rahman Dahlan – he had to be saved by SPRM and IGP from a debate with Guan Eng which will confirm the truism that ‘empty vessel makes the most noise’

There are many events happening in the country which seem to be remote from Sarawak and unrelated to the 11th Sarawak state general election which will be held on May 7.

In actual fact, on deeper reflection, one would realise these developments have intimate relationship with the 11th Sarawak state general elections, whether the latest developments in the first global scandal in the country, the RM50 billion 1MDB scandal and all the acrobatics which are being performed every day in furtherance of the media scam that the Prime Minister, Datuk Seri Najib Razak has nothing to do with Malaysia’s first global scandal, or even the cancellation of the debate that should be telecast live next Wednesday by TV3 between DAP Secretarg-General and Penang Chief Minister Lim Guan Eng and the Barisan Nasional Strategic Communications Director and Minister for Urban Wellbeing, Housing and Local Government, Datuk Abdul Rahman Dahlan.

In fact, all the hoo-ha and the allegations against Guan Eng for corruption in connection with his RM2.8 million bungalow purchase is not unrelated to the Sarawak state general election!

TV3 had cancelled the Lim Guan Eng-Abdul Rahman Dahlan debate falling back on the “advice” from both the Inspector-General of Police and the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) on the ground that the debate could “jeopardise investigations” on the controversy over Taman Manggis land and Guan Eng’s RM2.8 million purchase of the bungalow.

I just cannot understand the logic and reasoning of both the IGP and the MACC.

One would have thought that they would welcome such a debate, for if new and relevant evidence surface at the debate whether in the form of documentation or any other form which are relevant to MACC or police investigations, it would be a real “bonus” to both MACC or the Police.

Why then are the Police and MACC so concerned about the debate as to produce excuses for the TV3 cancellation?

Is it to save Guan Eng or to save Abdul Rahman Dahlan.

As the former is unthinkable, the only conclusion is that both SPRM and the IGP had to work overtime to produce reasons to justify TV3 cancellation of the debate.

Poor Abdul Rahman Dahlan – he had to be saved by SPRM and IGP from a debate with Guan Eng which will confirm the truism that ‘empty vessel makes the most noise’!

MACC has not proved itself to be independent and professional over the politically-inspired allegations of corruption made by UMNO/BN leaders against Guan Eng.

The MACC had immediately swung into action after the corruption allegations against Guan Eng by UMNO/BN leaders, despatching scores of MACC officers to investigate Guan Eng’s case.

But had similar actions been taken with regard to the first global corruption scandal in the country, involving the Prime Minister, Datuk Seri Najib Razak?

As Najib’s RM4.2 billion donation scandal is 1,500 times bigger than Guan Eng’s alleged RM2.8 million bungalow scandal, while the RM50 billion 1MDB scandal is 20,000 times bigger than the alleged RM2.8 million bungalow scandal, had MACC assigned hundreds of MACC officers to investigate Najib’s twin mega scandals, when it could assign scores of MACC officers to Guan Eng’s case?

The answer is in the negative – which is an adverse reflection on the independence and professionalism of both the Police and the SPRM.

Lim Kit Siang DAP Parliamentary Leader & MP for Gelang Patah