Kit Siang stresses need for no-confidence vote against Najib
By LOOI SUE-CHERN
Published: 25 August 2015 3:11 PM
Malaysian Insider
DAP's Gelang Patah MP Lim Kit Siang (seated, left) and Penang Chief Minister Lim Guan Eng (seated, second left) with other party members at the press conference held at the Penang DAP headquarters today. – The Malaysian Insider pic by Looi Sue-Chern, August 25, 2015.
As the political and economic situation gets more worrying, DAP today reiterated the need to table a no-confidence motion against Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak in Parliament.
DAP parliamentary leader Lim Kit Siang said Inspector-General of Police Tan Sri Khalid Abu Bakar had assured yesterday that any no-confidence move against the prime minister was neither criminal nor a police concern.
This, the DAP veteran said, would allow a proper and less inhibited discussion on the alternatives to the present Najib administration.
He said the safest bet now was to assume that only some 75 to 78 opposition MPs would take a common position on the motion with the balance having to be made up from Umno and Barisan Nasional MPs.
"Although DAP, PKR and PAS have 88 MPs, it will be foolhardy for anyone to assume that the 21 MPs from PAS would all support a vote of no-confidence against Najib unless there was clear and specific directive from PAS president Datuk Seri Abdul Hadi Awang.
"Are there at least 35 Umno BN MPs who are prepared to join with the opposition MPs on a 'Save Malaysia' agenda including the no-confidence motion against Najib?" he said in a press conference at the Penang DAP headquarters today.
Last month, Hadi reportedly said PAS would consider the necessity of the no-confidence vote, although his remark was reported as telling PAS MPs to stay out of it.
However, last week, PAS deputy president Datuk Tuan Ibrahim Tuan Man said PAS would support a no-confidence vote against Najib.
BN as a whole has 134 MPs - 88 from Umno and 46 from its component parties.
Lim said if Najib was removed in a no-confidence vote, the government could have a new prime minister from Umno’s ranks and the administration could still remain controlled by Umno and BN.
Otherwise, he said the country could be administered by a caretaker government made up of parties, including the non-BN ones, with a prime minister chosen from among all the MPs, until the next polls.
"Such a national or caretaker government is unchartered waters for Malaysia. It may be feasible or otherwise, but all political parties and national players must be prepared to explore such possibilities," he said.
Lim, who is Gelang Patah MP, also said in view of the latest developments in the country such as the continual plunge of the ringgit, there must be a special Parliament sitting in the first week of September.
He said apart from tabling the no-confidence motion against Najib, the sitting would allow a new chairman and new members to be appointed to the Public Accounts Committee (PAC), replacing those promoted to the Cabinet by Najib in his recent Cabinet reshuffle, and resume its probe into the 1Malaysia Development Berhad (1MDB) scandal.
"The 1MDB scandal has been described as a 'one tonne millstone' which Najib will carry with him wherever he goes. It is also a one tonne milestone for Malaysia, weighing down our economic capabilities and potential,” he said.
Lim said the Bersih 4 rallies this weekend in Kuala Lumpur, Kuching and Kota Kinabalu have come at a especially momentous time in Malaysian history.
He said it was an occasion for all Malaysians, regardless of their background and political beliefs, to acknowledge that the country was facing an unprecedented crisis, and to show their love for the nation and resolve to unite as patriots to seek a national solution in line with the fundamental liberties provided by the constitution.
"For this reason, the various government authorities should extend their full cooperation to ensure the success of Bersih 4 as a Carnival of Democracy and the salvation of Malaysia, instead of issuing threats and warnings.
"Bersih 4 participants are united in their common endeavour and commitment to peaceful and non-violent expression of support for democracy and a united Malaysian nation," he added. – August 25, 2015
- See more at: http://www.themalaysianinsider.com/malaysia/article/kit-siang-stresses-need-for-no-confidence-vote-against-najib#sthash.Qmi2wDfW.dpuf
DAP's Gelang Patah MP Lim Kit Siang (seated, left) and Penang Chief Minister Lim Guan Eng (seated, second left) with other party members at the press conference held at the Penang DAP headquarters today. – The Malaysian Insider pic by Looi Sue-Chern, August 25, 2015.As the political and economic situation gets more worrying, DAP today reiterated the need to table a no-confidence motion against Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak in Parliament.
DAP parliamentary leader Lim Kit Siang said Inspector-General of Police Tan Sri Khalid Abu Bakar had assured yesterday that any no-confidence move against the prime minister was neither criminal nor a police concern.
This, the DAP veteran said, would allow a proper and less inhibited discussion on the alternatives to the present Najib administration.
He said the safest bet now was to assume that only some 75 to 78 opposition MPs would take a common position on the motion with the balance having to be made up from Umno and Barisan Nasional MPs.
"Although DAP, PKR and PAS have 88 MPs, it will be foolhardy for anyone to assume that the 21 MPs from PAS would all support a vote of no-confidence against Najib unless there was clear and specific directive from PAS president Datuk Seri Abdul Hadi Awang.
"Are there at least 35 Umno BN MPs who are prepared to join with the opposition MPs on a 'Save Malaysia' agenda including the no-confidence motion against Najib?" he said in a press conference at the Penang DAP headquarters today.
Last month, Hadi reportedly said PAS would consider the necessity of the no-confidence vote, although his remark was reported as telling PAS MPs to stay out of it.
However, last week, PAS deputy president Datuk Tuan Ibrahim Tuan Man said PAS would support a no-confidence vote against Najib.
BN as a whole has 134 MPs - 88 from Umno and 46 from its component parties.
Lim said if Najib was removed in a no-confidence vote, the government could have a new prime minister from Umno’s ranks and the administration could still remain controlled by Umno and BN.
Otherwise, he said the country could be administered by a caretaker government made up of parties, including the non-BN ones, with a prime minister chosen from among all the MPs, until the next polls.
"Such a national or caretaker government is unchartered waters for Malaysia. It may be feasible or otherwise, but all political parties and national players must be prepared to explore such possibilities," he said.
Lim, who is Gelang Patah MP, also said in view of the latest developments in the country such as the continual plunge of the ringgit, there must be a special Parliament sitting in the first week of September.
He said apart from tabling the no-confidence motion against Najib, the sitting would allow a new chairman and new members to be appointed to the Public Accounts Committee (PAC), replacing those promoted to the Cabinet by Najib in his recent Cabinet reshuffle, and resume its probe into the 1Malaysia Development Berhad (1MDB) scandal.
"The 1MDB scandal has been described as a 'one tonne millstone' which Najib will carry with him wherever he goes. It is also a one tonne milestone for Malaysia, weighing down our economic capabilities and potential,” he said.
Lim said the Bersih 4 rallies this weekend in Kuala Lumpur, Kuching and Kota Kinabalu have come at a especially momentous time in Malaysian history.
He said it was an occasion for all Malaysians, regardless of their background and political beliefs, to acknowledge that the country was facing an unprecedented crisis, and to show their love for the nation and resolve to unite as patriots to seek a national solution in line with the fundamental liberties provided by the constitution.
"For this reason, the various government authorities should extend their full cooperation to ensure the success of Bersih 4 as a Carnival of Democracy and the salvation of Malaysia, instead of issuing threats and warnings.
"Bersih 4 participants are united in their common endeavour and commitment to peaceful and non-violent expression of support for democracy and a united Malaysian nation," he added. – August 25, 2015
- See more at: http://www.themalaysianinsider.com/malaysia/article/kit-siang-stresses-need-for-no-confidence-vote-against-najib#sthash.Qmi2wDfW.dpuf
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