Is Annuar Musa accusing the first three Prime Ministers of Malaysia, Tunku Abdul Rahman, Razak and Hussein Onn as anti-Islam because they upheld secularism as the bedrock principles of Malaysian Constitution and nation-building?

Is the UMNO Information Chief, Tan Sri Annuar Musa accusing the first three Prime Ministers of Malaysia, Tunku Abdul Rahman, Tun Razak and Tun Hussein Onn as anti-Islam because they upheld secularism as the bedrock principles of the Malaysian Constitution and Malaysian nation-building?

In his misnomer campaign of “Dialogue for All” in Kota Bahru on Saturday, Annuar launched a ferocious attack on the DAP, accusing DAP of being anti-Islam because the DAP constitution “clearly stated” that DAP was fighting for secularism, and secondly, alleging that the DAP feared an UMNO-PAS pact because the party did not want to see Malays and Muslims united.

I said Annuar’s national roadshow “Dialogue for All” is a misnomer as it would be more properly named as “Fake News for All”!

For Annuar’s edification, the DAP Constitution referred to the Merdeka Constitution 1957 as “a secular document, instilled with the principles of democracy, freedom, rule of law and respect of human rights; and imbibed with the ideals of accountability, equality, justice and human dignity” – a stand which had been taken by the nation’s first three Prime Ministers.

In accusing the DAP as being anti-Islam for taking such a stand, let Annuar declare whether he is also launching an attack on the first three Prime Ministers who were also UMNO Presidents for three decades from 1951 to 1981?

Or could Annuar differentiate the stand of the first three Prime Ministers from that of the DAP with regard to the Merdeka and Malaysian Constitution as a “secular document” laying down the bedrock principles of the Constitution and nation-building in Malaysia?

Not only the UMNO Supreme Council, but the Barisan Nasional Supreme Council, should convene emergency meetings to demand an explanation why the UMNO Information Chief is launching a nation-wide campaign under the misnomer of “Dialogue for All” attacking the first three Prime Minsters of Malaysia and UMNO Presidents from 1951-1981 as anti-Islam, including Tun Razak, the father of the present Prime Minister, Datuk Seri Najib Razak.

Annuar is guilty of fake news and false information when he accused the DAP of fearing an UMNO-PAS pact because DAP did not want to see Malays and Muslims united.

For Annuar’s edification, again, there are Malays and Muslims in the DAP, as the DAP represents all Malaysians, regardless of race, religion, region, class, age or gender.

Before the UMNO Information Chief continues with his nonsensical tirades and lies about the DAP being anti-Islam, he should ask himself whether he is worthy to be a “warrior of Islam” when he is a walking example of the “curse of kleptocracy” in Malaysia?

The most egregious example of this curse of kleptocratic culture, which has resulted in international infamy and ignominy for Malaysia as a global kleptocracy, is undoubtedly the international multi-billion dollar 1MDB money-laundering scandal.

Although not as egregious as the 1MDB scandal, the MARA and Felda/FGV scandals rank high on the list of corruption scandals constituting the “curse of kleptocratic culture” in the country which will be the subject of root-and-branch investigations by a Pakatan Harapan Federal Government if Pakatan Harapan can topple UMNO/BN in the 14th General Election.

But the 1MDB. MARA and FELDA/FGV scandals are not the only examples of the curse of the culture of kleptocracy which has permeated into all aspects of national life, which is why Malaysia’s 2016 Corruption Perception Index (CPI) of Transparency International (TI), both in ranking and score, are even worse than 22 years ago, when TI CPI first made its annual appearance in 1995.

Other countries like China, India and Indonesia have made impressive strides in the anti-corruption campaign in the past two decades, but Malaysia’s ranking and score of the annual TI CPI are even worse than two decades ago.

“Tigers” are being caught, jailed and even executed for corruption in China, “crocodiles” are being brought to justice in Indonesia, but “sharks” in Malaysia are swimming freely and merrily in the South China Sea.

Can Annuar explain why?

Now Annuar fancies himself as a “warrior for Islam”.

Does the PAS President, Datuk Seri Hadi Awang acknowledge and recognize the UMNO Information Chief as a “warrior for Islam”, although Annuar has not been able to resolve the kleptocratic cloud under which he was suspended as MARA Chairman till the end of his tenure as head of MARA?

Let Annuar first answer my five questions to him a week ago concerning his credibility and integrity before he goes on his latest frolic pretending to be a “warrior for Islam” in Malaysia, viz:

First, how many cases of corruption and abuses of power in his capacity as MARA Chairman and other MARA portfolios had he been investigated by Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) and the outcome of these investigations.

Second, does the Prime Minister, Datuk Seri Najib Razak has to give the green light before the MACC could arrest and prosecute him for corruption as MARA Chairman and other MARA responsibilities.

Third, Annuar was suspended as Chairman of MARA as well as Chairman of Pelaburan Mara Bhd (PMB) at an emergency MARA Board meeting on 31st January 2017 when he was visiting New Zealand as MARA Chairman. Why did he submit to such shabby indignity, and what did he do in the ensuing six months to establish his innocence and honesty as well as the injustice of his suspension as MARA Chairman?

Fourth, Annuar said in early August that he had no plan to continue being the MARA Chairman after holding the post for four years (omitting reference that he was suspended for more than six months at the end of his appointment as MARA Chairman) and that he had personally sent a letter to the Prime Minister about it. Why did he take the stand that he did not want to be re-appointed as MARA Chairman when he was not withdrawing from public life as he continued to be very active as UMNO Information Chief?

Fifth, was his nation-wide misnomer roadshow to attack and demonise DAP and Pakatan Harapan leaders in his capacity as UMNO Information Chief one of the terms of agreement between him and the Prime Minister, so that he could relinquish the post of MARA Chairman but continue as UMNO Information Chief?

If Annuar dare not even answer these five questions on the curse of kleptocracy, how can he put on the mantle of a “warrior for Islam” in Malaysia?

Lim Kit Siang DAP Parliamentary Leader & MP for Gelang Patah