MP SPEAKS I will not be shackled by the defamation suit brought by Prime Minister Najib Razak because I am supported by millions of Malaysians out there who demand good governance, transparency and accountability from the Prime Minister and his Government
My lawyer, Gobind Singh who is also the MP for Puchong, has received the writ served by Dato’ Seri Najib Razak’s lawyers at 4.30pm yesterday evening.
The suit by the prime minister accused me of having defamed him in my speech at a DAP Petaling Jaya Fund-Raising Dinner on November 3, 2014 where I spoke extensively on the “mother of the mother of the mother of all scandals”, 1Malaysia Development Bhd (1MDB).
This suit is the first defamation suit ever brought by a prime minister against a member of parliament in Malaysia.
It appears that the timing of the suit is coming at a time when 1MDB is facing a massive crisis on all fronts - the inability to service its massive RM42 billion debt, and mounting exposés on fraudulent transactions and even possibly embezzlement billions of ringgit of 1MDB funds.
Hence the suit could have been filed as a strategy to silence me and other government’s critics.
However, I would like to inform the prime minister that if that was the plan, he has failed miserably.
Resolve strengthened
Instead, the suit only strengthened my motivation to pursue, investigate and expose more corruption, abuse of power and incompetence in 1MDB as well as other government activities, knowing that I am on the right track.
I will certainly not be shackled by the suit because I know I am supported by millions of Malaysians who are equally astounded by the sheer audacity of the 1MDB scam.
Like me, they demand good governance, transparency and accountability from the prime minister and his government.
I would like to declare here that I will contest the suit by the prime minister. At the same time, I would like to express my gratitude to the many lawyers who have contacted me to offer their services pro bono.
TONY PUA is Petaling Jaya Utara MP.
