BN party reps threaten to quit over 'hudud' motion, but choose to turn a blind eye to 1MDB and Najib's donation scandals

It is almost comical seeing the immense coverage given by vernacular newspapers to non-Malay Barisan Nasional component party leaders who took turns threatening to quit the coalition as a result of the tabling of the hudud motion in Parliament.

Top leaders of MCA, MIC, Gerakan as well as Sabah and Sarawak parties were up in arms, thumping their chests, screaming betrayal by UMNO for allowing PAS President and Member of Parliament for Marang, Dato’ Seri Hadi Awang to table the motion on “hudud”, ahead of other Government business in Parliament.

The question which needs to be asked is simply, where were these BN component party leaders when the Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department, Dato’ Seri Azalina Othman, who obviously received the endorsement of Dato’ Seri Najib Razak himself, tabled the motion to prioritize Dato’ Seri Hadi Awang’s private members’ bill over government business?

Why was it that only opposition Members of Parliament were brave enough to stand up to question the irregularity of the entire exercise, which was perhaps the first in the history of Malaysian Parliament?

Why did Liow Tiong Lai, Wee Ka Siong, Joseph Kurup, Mah Siew Keong, Joseph Pairin Kitingan or members of their parties stand up to protest the unprecedented event which took place on the last day of the sitting on Thursday last week?

Or is all the brouhaha merely just an afterthought, a show to placate a shocked electorate who has lost total confidence in these BN component parties to protect their rights enshrined in the constitution?

Or are these leaders now threatening to quit for show in order to limit the damage resulting from the admitted collusion between UMNO and PAS?

None of the threats to quit are of course credible. The last time MCA and Gerakan threatened to quit the Cabinet if the results from the 13th General Election showed no improvement, the party leaders obediently put the tails between their legs and meekly crawled back into the Cabinet.

And if these BN leaders really mean their quit threats, then why haven’t they similarly threatened to quit over the RM55 bilion 1MDB and RM4.2 billion Najib-donation scandals?

Are MCA, Gerakan, MIC, Upko, SUPP and PBB more than happy to continue supporting a Prime Minister who has been directly accused of siphoning billions of dollars from the Finance Ministry subsidiary, 1MDB? Even the Auditor-General has confirmed that his office was unable to verify the authenticity and existence of US$7 billion (RM28 billion) of 1MDB transactions, assets and cash conducted overseas.

If they are indeed principled parties and individuals they claim themselves to be, why have they not made any similar threats when Dato’ Seri Najib Razak brought shame to Malaysia in a global scandal which is being investigated in more than 7 countries across the world? Is it because they are also beneficiaries of the stolen funds from 1MDB?

Malaysia is now a renown kleptocracy in the world.  If these chest-thumping BN leaders do not quit over the theft of billions of dollars from the Malaysian tax-payers, then their threats to resign are clearly just for show to minimise the damage caused the dalliance between UMNO and PAS.

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PAS Has Every Right to Contest Against Us in the Next GE

It is the democratic right of PAS to contest in any and every seat in Malaysia, but perhaps they should be more worried about hanging on to most of their gains in the last General Elections.

I have read with mild amusement the announcement by PAS Election Director, Datuk Mustafa Ali, that the party will field candidates in DAP-contested seats in the next General Elections.

Let me state clearly that it is the democratic right of any party to field candidates in any seat throughout the country, and that would obviously include PAS. Datuk Mustafa Ali is even welcomed to field a candidate in Petaling Jaya Utara to provide the voters with an additional choice for selection.

As PAS has officially terminated all forms of political cooperation with DAP, this will include all cooperation between the parties in Selangor despite the fact that PAS representatives remain in the state government.

DAP Selangor has met and confirmed that we will not be providing any assistance or support to any PAS candidate in the state for the next general election.

Instead, I will direct all DAP leaders and branches in the state to start active work in certain seats contested by PAS with the objective of contesting them in the next general election.

These seats will include, but are not limited to:

No Constituency % Malay voters Majority % PAS
1 Seri Serdang 45.5% 16,251 62.9%
2 Dusun Tua 50.9% 4,701 55.1%
3 Taman Templer 50.9% 7,467 58.2%
4 Tanjong Sepat 52.0% 682 51.4%
5 Chempaka 53.1% 9,608 63.1%
6 Lembah Jaya 54.0% 8,713 60.5%
7 Paya Jaras 56.2% 5,522 57.2%
8 Meru 58.6% 9,079 62.9%

In addition, DAP Selangor would like to express our unequivocal support for PKR and any other parties contesting in Selangor which subscribes fully to the common policy framework. These parties should be able to work in a coalition built upon consensus, in the interest of protecting of all Malaysians in a democratic multi-racial environment.

The final list of seats DAP Selangor contests will ultimately be subjected to amicable negotiations with our new post-Pakatan Rakyat coalition parties which does not include PAS. The objective will be for the new coalition to continue our record against Barisan Nasional in Selangor and contribute towards winning Putrajaya in the next General Elections.

Tony Pua

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Pakatan Rakyat's End Will Not, and Ever, Delude Our Principles

Pakatan Rakyat Selangor is in unchartered waters post-PAS Muktamar.

The PAS General Assembly (“Muktamar”) has decided to sever all ties (“putus hubungan”) and stop all political cooperation “kerjasama politik” with DAP. As a result, Pakatan Rakyat in Selangor has undoubtedly entered unchartered waters. The only thing certain under such circumstances is that nothing can or will be the same again.

It is inconceivable for anyone to think or believe that Pakatan Rakyat can continue to exist in its current state given the above unequivocal motion. The Pakatan Rakyat government comprises of three political parties which subscribed to a common policy platform. However, when the common policy platform is breached, compounded by the decision of one party to stop cooperation with another within the coalition, then the coalition naturally collapses.

How does the Government function, when the state executive councillors (Exco) of PAS refuses to cooperate with the Exco from DAP when carrying out their respective duties? Can one even imagine how surreal the state Exco meeting will be, with the PAS Exco ignoring the DAP Excos or pretending that they don’t exist?

The problems do not just exist within the Executive Council, but with all levels of the Selangor Government. Will PAS local councillors for example, pay no heed to all comments, suggestions and proposals by DAP local councillors when carrying out their responsibilities at the local government level?

What’s more, such refusal to cooperate will be egged on by PAS leaders such as Nasruddin Hassan Tantawi, the top vote-getter amongst the 18 newly elected central committee members. After all, he urged the Party faithfuls to fight DAP with his now-famous war cry, “We may be dressed in jubah (robes) and turbans, but you must remember that underneath this jubah, there are elbows and knees that can be used (against DAP).”

Hence it will never be “business as usual” again. The question which remains, and is still unanswered is what form of political realignment will take place to allow a new coalition government to remain in power in Selangor.

As my colleague, Johor state chairman and MP for Kluang, Liew Chin Tong has alluded to, there is now a vacuum in the anti-establishment, moderate and progressive Malay political space after PAS swerved hard to the far-right. He said,

"In the weeks and months to come, the search for new paths by the progressives and all other Malay moderate opinion leaders to fill the vacuum would see major political realignments in Malaysian politics."

The ability for this gap to be filled, whether by the DAP and/or PKR, or by the rise of new factions or parties, will determine the future of the new coalition for Selangor.

The failure of this gap to be filled, which will allow a tenable coalition which subscribes firmly to the “Common Policy Platform” endorsed by the Rakyat in the last general election, may lead to a collapse of the Selangor state government and for elections to be called.

As of today, no final decision have been made by DAP Selangor. In the coming days, we will engage and discuss with DAP Central Executive Committee and abide by any decision which is made at the national level. Unlike leaders of several other political parties we know of, Malaysians can be assured that DAP leaders in Selangor will not be hypocrites and betray our principles to remain in power at all cost.

Tony Pua

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