MP SPEAKS Time is running out for Prime Minister Najib Razak in the next 24 hours when the cabinet holds its weekly meeting on Friday (as is, during parliamentary meetings).
This is on whether Najib has deviated from the stand of the first five prime ministers, Tunku Abdul Rahman, Abdul Razak Hussein, Hussein Onn, Dr Mahathir Mohamad and Abdullah Badawi on the bedrock Umno/BN nation-building principle and policy that hudud gies against the Malaysian constitution, the 1963 Malaysia Agreement and is not suitable for a multi-racial and multi-religious nation like Malaysia.
For nearly 60 years, every prime minister, when asked, had no hesitation in declaring that the Federal Constitution and the Malaysia Agreement of 1963 would not permit the implementation of hudud, the Islamic penal system.
The question is, why has the fifth prime minister been agonising, for a week now, to reiterate what has been the Umno/BN/Alliance policy for 58 years from Merdeka and 52 years since the formation of Malaysia?
If the Umno/BN policies have taken a tectonic shift under Najib, whereby the prime minister cannot openly reiterate and reaffirm what have been the bedrock nation-building principles of Umno/BN/Alliance for 58 years, in accordance with the 1957 Merdeka constitution and the 1963 Malaysia Agreement that hudud goes against the Federal Constitution, the Malaysia Agreement 1963 and is not suitable for a multi-racial and multi-religious nation like Malaysia, then I invite all Malaysians to seriously think of the possibility of a new Malaysian coalition that is post-BN and post-Pakatan, with a new prime minister to “Save Malaysia” to defend our constitution and the rule of law.
A new coalition, post-BN and post-Pakatan and with a new prime minister, should be based on five fundamental principles, namely:
1. Defend the federal constitution, Islam as the religion of the federation while other religions can be practiced peacefully anywhere in the country and protecting the special position of the Malays and the indigenous peoples anywhere including Sabah and Sarawak, and the legitimate interests of other races in accordance to Article 153.
2. Defend the role and responsibility of the institution of Constitutional Monarchy.
3. Uphold the use of Bahasa Malaysia in accordance to Article 152 of the Constitution and promote Bahasa Malaysia as the regional lingua franca, while protecting and strengthening the use of mother tongue languages for all races.
4. Abolish or amend all other oppressive laws and regulations that are repressive and contravene fundamental rights.
5. Guarantee the spirit of Federalism and a just relationship between the Federation and states, including a review of the 1963 Malaysia Agreement pertaining to Sabah and Sarawak.
PRS has spoken
Parti Rakyat Sarawak (PRS) has announced that it would break ranks with BN should the coalition support PAS president, Hadi Awang’s private member’s bill on hudud implementation.
PRS president James Masing said unequivocally that PRS’ six MPs will not support the bill.
I believe that overwhelming majority of Sarawak and Sabah MPs from BN would break ranks with Umno/BN if Najib announces Umno/BN support for Hadi’s private member’s bill.
This however would not be the case with MCA or Gerakan, who would not have the conviction or courage like the PRS president to announce well in advance that they would break ranks with Umno/BN should the coalition support Hadi’s private member’s bill.
After all, MCA and Gerakan had already set a precedent, when they raised no objections whatsoever to Kelantan Umno assemblymen violating the fundamental Umno/BN nation-building policies and voted in support of PAS Kelantan’s hudud implementation in the Kelantan state assembly on March 19, 2015.
Although Najib can depend on acquiescene and obedience from MCA and Gerakan on whatever stand he takes on Hadi’s private member’s bill, he must be prepared for an open revolt from the BN MPs in Sarawak and Sabah if he supports Hadi’s private member’s bill.
After the 2013 general elections, MCA - which had been reduced to 7/11 representation -and Gerakan are completely dispensable in BN coalition but this is not the case with Sarawak and Sabah MPs.
In fact, without the support of the 27 Sarawak and 22 Sabah BN MPs, Najib would today be the parliamentary opposition leader (if he survives as Umno president) and not be the prime minister of Malaysia.
Neither yes nor no expected
Having allowed Umno ‘unity government’ conspirators to lead Kelantan PAS ‘up the garden’s path’ that Umno will support PAS in hudud law and implementation, Najib will probably opt for a position where he would neither say “yes” or “no” to Hadi’s private member’s bill on hudud implementation.
This, by itself, would be a major deviation from the founding principles of the five previous prime ministers, Umno/BN coalition, Federal Constitution and Malaysia Agreement that hudud law and implementation is against the Federal Constitution and the Malaysia Agreement 1963.
This ambivalent stand by Najib is completely unacceptable, and justifies the exploration of a new political landscape involving a new Malaysian coalition with a new prime minister, which is post-BN and post-Pakatan.
LIM KIT SIANG is DAP parliamentary leader and MP for Gelang Patah.
