The issue in the 14th General Election is whether to Save Malaysia or to Save Najib

The next 14th General Election will present Malaysian voters with a very clear-cut national choice – to Save Malaysia or to Save Najib Razak.

In less than eight years under the sixth Prime Minister, Datuk Seri Najib Razak has succeeded where the country’s first five Prime Ministers, Tunku Abdul Rahman, Tun Razak, Tun Hussein, Tun Mahathir and Tun Abdullah had not done in 52 years – subjecting Malaysia to world-wide ridicule and mockery as a global kleptocracy.

I told Parliament in a debate last November that there is nothing to be proud to be regarded as a “global klepotocracy” as a kleptocracy is a government of 3Ps – Pencuri, Perompak and Penyamun. Former Prime Minister, Tun Dr. Mahathir said there is a fourth P – Penyangak!

Malaysia must be saved from a global kleptocracy, which will hurtle Malaysia towards a failed and rogue state.

I do not believe there are any Malaysians, regardless of race, religion, region or even political affiliation, who wants Malaysia to become and continue to be a global kleptocracy, and even ordinary UMNO and PAS members, if they understand the real issues involved in the 14th GE, would unite with all patriotic Malaysians to save Malaysia from a global kleptocracy.

This morning, I read the following news from Malaysiakini:

“PAS sec-gen swept aside by new faces in FAM

“The old guard, including PAS secretary-general Takiyuddin Hassan, was completely wiped out in the Football Association of Malaysia (FAM) election today.

“Several incumbent office-bearers had chosen not to defend their position, while those that did were defeated.

“Takiyuddin was the only incumbent to defend his vice-president position.

“He only managed to garner three out of 38 delegate votes, the second lowest of eight contenders vying for four vice-president positions.”

This reminds me of the news, also from Malaysiakini, last week on March 18, which read:

“Nik Abduh trounced in PAS divisional election

“PAS Youth chief Nik Abduh Nik Abdul Aziz was trounced in the Pengkalan Chepa PAS division election today.

“Nik Abduh, who was vying for the position of Pengkalan Chepa PAS deputy chief, suffered heavy defeat against sole competitor Dr Izani Husin.

“Izani, who is the incumbent, garnered 207 votes compared to Nik Abduh's 37 votes, according to a souce…

“The division is significant as it was previously led by Nik Abduh's late father Nik Abdul Aziz Nik Mat, a well-respected religious scholar and spiritual leader for PAS.”

These two news items remind us that a quiet revolution is taking place in our nation and it is a great error of judgment for anyone to take the people’s support for granted – for instance for the top PAS and UMNO national leaders to assume that PAS and UMNO members will definitely vote in accordance with their wishes and directives, regardless of the circumstances.

I have not come across greater restiveness and unease among the Malay voters about the UMNO government and leadership, especially those who understand the magnitude of the international multi-billion dollar 1MDB money-laundering scandal, which is making news headlines almost every other day all over the world, except in Malaysia.

Even among the 1.6 million civil service, I do not think there has been a time in the history of Malaysia where the civil servants are so restive and agitated over the corruption in the top levels of government and the lack of good governance of the UMNO leaders.

The next 14th general elections will present Malaysians with a stark choice – whether to Save Malaysia or to Save Najib.

The PAS President Datuk Seri Hadi Awang has made clear as to where he stands on the issue – that he wants to Save Najib and not to Save Malaysia.

Is this why Hadi had not said a single word of condemnation or even criticism against Najib over the 1MDB scandal – although it is the “mother” of all financial scandals in Malaysia, and is even regarded as the largest kleptocratic scandal in the world.

I am reminded of what the first Caliph Abu Bakr said when he was elected: “If I do well, then help me, and if I act wrongly, then correct me. Truthfulness is synonymous with fulfilling the trust and lying is equivalent to treachery”. (“Jika aku betul, tolonglah aku. Jika aku salah betulkanlah aku. Benar itu adalah amanah, bohong itu adalah khianat.”)

Malaysians regardless of race, religion, region or even political affiliation – whether ordinary members of DAP, PKR, Amanah, Pribumi Bersatu, UMNO, PAS, MCA, Gerakan, MIC, PBB, PBS, SUPP and the other Sabah/Sarawak BN parties – must unite as one people in the 14GE to SAVE Malaysia and not to SAVE Najib.