Call on all MPs to demand in the policy debate next week that the Malaysian Government should lay a strong claim on behalf of Malaysian people to the RM400 million 1MDB-related funds in Swiss banks and the billion-ringgit Equanimity Luxury Yacht seized by Indonesia, the RM120 million Bombardier Jet seized by Singapore and the RM120 million pink diamond necklace as they are all purchased from 1MDB-linked funds

I call on all MPs, whether Barisan Nasional or Pakatan Harapan, should take an united common stand in the policy debate in the Motion of Thanks for the Yang di Pertuan Agong for this policy address to demand that the Malaysian Government should lay a strong claim on behalf of the Malaysian people to the RM400 million 1MDB-related funds in Swiss banks as well as the billion-ringgit Equanimity luxury yacht seized by the Indonesian authorities yesterday, the RM120 million Bombadier jet seized by the Singapore authorities in early February and the RM120 million pink diamond necklace as they were all purchased from 1MDB-linked funds.

We are living in the era of fake news, alternative facts and post-truths where the Malaysian Government under the Prime Minister, Datuk Seri Najib Razak is doing its utmost to convince Malaysians that the 1MDB scandal, openly described by the US Attorney-General Jeff Sessions as the world’s worst kleptocracy, does not exist and is nothing but “fake news”.

This is the reason for the Malaysian government’s inaction over the RM400 million in 1MDB-related funds seized by the Swiss government, with the Swiss press reporting that the Swiss government is looking to pocket CHF95 million (RM400 million) from 1MDB-linked funds from several banks in Switzerland.

This is also the reason for the extraordinary reaction of the Attorney-General, Tan Sri Mohamad Apandi Ali, who said that the government would not claim 1MDB mastermind Jho Low’s luxury yacht that was seized by Indonesian authorities in a joint effort with US Federal Bureau of Investigation yesterday.

When asked by Malaysiakini whether the government would seek the return of Jho Low's yacht, the Equanimity, Apandi retorted: “Why would the government claim something that does not belong to them?”

This is a shocking display of the disease of “frog in the well” aggravated by the super “fake news” complex especially when the 1MDB scandal is mentioned.

This is completely unacceptable and Malaysian Parliamentarians must redeem themselves and the honour and reputation of the country when Parliament reconvenes next week by bravely addressing Malaysia’s infamy, ignominy and iniquity of being regarded world-wide as a global kleptocracy in the past few years, resulting in Malaysia’s lowest ranking in the recent release of Transparency International (TI) Corruption Perception Index (CPI) 2017.

I call on all MPs, whether Pakatan Harapan or Barisan Nasional, to demand in the policy debate next week that the Malaysian Government should lay a strong claim to the RM400 million 1MDB-related funds in Swiss banks and the billion-ringgit Equanimity Luxury Yacht seized by Indonesia, the RM120 million Bombardier Jet seized by Singapore and the RM120 million pink diamond necklace as they were all purchased from 1MDB-linked funds.

I would suggest to the Parliamentary Opposition Leader, Datuk Seri Dr. Wan Azizah Wan Ismail the possibility of her moving next Tuesday an amendment to the Motion of Thanks for the Royal Address which is the first item of parliamentary business next week to demand that the Malaysian government lay a strong claim to the RM400 million 1MDB-related funds in Swiss banks and the billion-ringgit Equanimity Luxury Yacht seized by Indonesia, the RM120 million Bombardier Jet seized by Singapore and the RM120 million pink diamond necklace.

Lim Kit Siang DAP Parliamentary Leader & MP for Gelang Patah