Najib’s maiden speech as an Opposition MP conspicuous and infamous by what he did not say than what he said

Datuk Seri Najib Razak’s maiden speech in Parliament today as an Opposition MP is conspicuous and infamous by what he did not say than what he said.

Najib’s most conspicuous and infamous omissions are three, viz:

  1. Total absence of reference to the monstrous international 1MDB corruption and money-laundering scandal which the US Attorney-General Jeff Sessions described at an interntional conference last December as “kleptocracy at its worst” and which caused Malaysia the infamy, ignominy and iniquity as a global kleptocracy. The 1MDB corruption and money-laundering scandal is regularly referred to international media as among the world’s largest ever embezzlement schemes, the subject of a global coruption probe involving investigators at some 10 countries and the Najib family widely cited as the scheme’s major beneficiary. There appears to be no contrition whatsoever.
  2. Total absence of reference to the secret letter from the chief spy of Najib when he was Prime Minister to the CIA seeking support of the US Government against Pakatan Harapan if the 14th General Election results turned out to be close, which was clearly treacherous and traitorous as described by the Persatuan Patriot Kebangsaan (Patriot).
  3. Total absence of reference to the DAP.

Najib maiden speech as an Opposition MP should be compared to his speech as Prime Minister and UMNO President at the 2016 and 2017 UMNO General Assembles. In the 2016 UMNO General Assembly, for instance, Najib told three Big Lies, viz:

  1. That the 14th General Elections will be a contest between UMNO and DAP;
  2. That the DAP is anti-Malay or anti-Islam.
  3. The “nightmares” Malay will suffer if UMNO loses power in the next general elections.

The 14th General Election which UMNO/BN lost was not a battle of UMNO vs DAP. It was a battle between the Barisan Nasional led by UMNO and the Pakatan Harapan coaliltion of DAP, PKR, AMANAH and BERSATU to save Malaysia from a kleptocracy by defending the founding Constitutional principles of a democratic, just and united plural Malaysia.

Najib made the specific allegation that I would be the Prime Minister if Pakatan Harapan wins the 14GE but he has been proven wrong and a liar.

DAP is not anti-Malay or anti-Islam. DAP is not a Chinese party as right from the beginning of our formation 50 years ago, as we were committed to the principles and vision of a Malaysian party, led by Malaysians and serving the interests of all Malaysians, regardless of race, religion or region.

Finally, UMNO’s defeat does not result in Malays having “nightmares” except in the wild imaginations of UMNO leaders and their cronies.

As I had said many a time, whatever happens in the 14GE, the Malays in Malaysia will continue to exercise political power in the country as there is no way they will lose their political power. This is assured by the triple factors establishing the overwhelming Malay predominance in the Malaysian political scene – the demographic make-up of the general population, the electorate and the parliamentary constituencies.

If Najib is genuinely patriotic, he should tender an open apology for unleashing the most vicious, divisive and toxic politics of race, religion, fear, hate and lies in the nation’s history just to ensure that he could be returned to power in the 14GE, which all turned to nought because of the wisdom of the Malalaysian electorate.

But Najib seems to have no remorse for such vicious, divisive and toxic politics and there are signs that there will be an attempt to unleash them again in the Sungai Kandis by-election.

Lim Kit Siang MP for Iskandar Puteri