COMMENT Permit me to remind you, Prime Minister Najib Abdul Razak, that this is my third open letter since you took the helm of this much embattled and now failing nation.
By any reckoning, it was a crucial Sunday yesterday, Aug 30, 2015, as the tens of thousands of the Bersih 4 demonstrators waited in vain you to either graciously exit or confess your ‘sins of omissions and commissions’.
Yet as time is quickly running out and as Bersih’s unprecedented-34-hour rally ended at when the clock struck midnight to start off Merdeka Day, I am sending this open letter to you - my third, don’t forget - in simple and unambiguous terms.
Since you have fully utilised your constitutional power, alas, even going beyond it by usurping the powers of others, so as to deceitfully evade and dodge a proper investigation, I am taking this opportunity ‘to put you on trial’.
I am now accusing you of subverting our democracy, of undermining our economy and ruining any semblance of a vibrant nation-state. By so doing, you have become the greatest enemy of the state.
Shall I begin by accusing you of having, inadvertently perhaps, crippling the economy and finance of our country? Most significantly of late, is your unfortunate misdealing in the infamous 1Malaysia Development Bhd or 1MDB and particularly with respect to the notorious RM2.67 billion and RM42 million transfers to your three personal bank accounts as ‘donation’.
To summarise, on March 21 and 25, 2013, Tanore Finance Corp, a company registered in the British Virgin Islands, transferred some US$681 (RM2.67 billion) in two tranches to two accounts, belonging to you, Najib Abdulk Razak, at a Kuala Lumpur branch of AmIslamic Bank Bhd. This was close to the 13th general election, which took place on the May 5, 2013.
All these funds have now been amply argued and proven to bankroll your election campaign in the GE13. You have admitted to not getting any personal gains from these funds. That’s surely a moot point and perhaps academic. The AmBank Banking Account Number belonging to you was 2112022009694. The account was closed on Aug 30, 2013.
RM4 billion borrowed from pension fund
On Dec 24, 2014, SRC International Sdn Bhd, another company wholly owned by the
Ministry of Finance, transferred RM40 mllion into a fully owned subsidiary company, Gandingan Mentari Sdn Bhd. On the same day, Gandingan Mentari transferred the same amount to Ihsan Perdana Sdn Bhd.
This money transferred to you was part of the RM4 billion borrowed from the Malaysian’s public pension fund or Kumpulan Wang Amanah Persaraan or KWAP that was unaccounted for.
Two days later, ie on Dec 26, 2014, Ihsan Perdana transferred a total of RM32 million to two separate accounts belonging to you; RM27 million to AmPrivate Banking Account Number 2112022011880 and RM5 mllion to AmPrivate Banking Account Number 2112022011906 both belonging to you, Mr PM. The funds were allegedly for the purpose of CSR programmes.
Let us get straight to the questioning and you tell us, Sir, why you shouldn’t be impeached for committing the following:
Simply put, shall I now contend that you have committed serious offences under the Anti-Money Laundering Act or AMLA, in that you breached, inter-alia, the following laws of Malaysia:
(i) Sections 17(a) and 17(b) of the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission Act, 2009 for giving and/or accepting gratification corruptly;
(ii) Section 214 of the Financial Services Act, 2013, and its predecessor, Section 8 and 9 of the Exchange Control Act, 1953, for undertaking or engaging in international and/or domestic transactions which include, but are not limited to the act of making any payment without the written approval and/or permission of the Central Bank of Malaysia (BNM); and
(iii) Sections 409 and 420 for criminal breach of trust and cheating.
By reasons of these matters, you Mr Prime Minister, have acted illegally and have committed the offence of money laundering, punishable under Section 4(1) of AMLA.
Shall I now also contend that you have also subverted the institutions of check-and-balance on the government by dismantling the Special Task Force investigating the 1MDB, on rumours bandied around that they were ready to have you charged. Is that so? That would be extremely deplorable.
By unilaterally sacking the attorney-general (AG), intimidating the governor of the BNM and promoting the Public Accounts Committee’s chairperson Nur Jazlan Mohamed into your government, you have paralysed the investigation into 1MDB abuses by the current and past top managements, working in cahoots with your famous business buddy, Jho Low.
To expect the Speaker of the House of Representativces (Parliament) to permit a special session, where ‘a vote of no confidence’ can be tabled against you, would be too much of a wishful thinking.
On record, you have suspended two newspapers and blocked access to a website that has been reporting extensively on 1MDB. You acted with speed and vengeance on whoever is seen to be questioning you on the various offences mentioned above. You’ve accused them of ‘undermining parliamentary democracy’, a crime that many wouldn’t contend is most aptly suited to you instead.
Shall I also now accuse you, as the prime minster-cum-finance minister, to have ostensibly and endlessly ruined our economy? Notwithstanding the challenging external factors that affect all developed and emerging economies, experts are now admitting that our country’s confidence and credibility crisis stemmed essentially from the absence of checks and balances, exacerbated by a serious lack of transparency, disclosure and accountability.
While the rapidly shrinking ringgit seems unabated, the risk of intense inflation and default for our dollar-denominated debts have become real and grim. Doubtless, you have not been managing well the bloating external debt, the ailing stock market and the dwindling foreign reserves.
You continue to illusively harp on our strong fundamentals. All these parameters are taking a beating on the back of your poor governance and gross mismanagement. 1MDB stands as an epitome of your self-styled fiscal mismanagement, dubbed Najibnomics, and it really stinks to high heaven, Sir!
For all these ‘sins of omission and commission’ may we respectfully call unto your goodself to please step down with grace, before you will disgracefully get booted out?
Whether Malaysia will do better without you is open to debate. Incidentally, you’ve also miserably failed to cement our very-fractured social-fabric by your flip-flopping political stances. The racial and religious divides deepen dangerously.
Please don’t overstay your welcome. Please make your exit soonest!
Just do it for our Merdeka Day!
DR DZULKEFLY AHMAD is secretary of Gerakan Harapan Baru. This letter was written yesterday, Aug 30, 2015.
