Ronnie Liu hits out at Dr M again, and Azmin
Thursday, 24 Oct 201912:49 PM MYT
By Zakiah Koya
image: https://apicms.thestar.com.my/uploads/images/2019/10/24/346679.jpg
PETALING JAYA: Sungai Pelek assemblyman Ronnie Liu (pic) has once again hit out at Prime Minister Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad and said if action were to be taken against him, Economic Affairs Minister Datuk Seri Mohamed Azmin Ali should go down as well.
Liu, who is also a DAP central executive committee member, claimed not only is the Malaysian public unhappy with Dr Mahathir for failing to fulfil the 2018 General Election manifesto but also that the premier had "irked the government of a number of countries".
"We cannot allow Pakatan Harapan, not even the Prime Minister, to drag us on the same path taken by the former regime, Barisan Nasional. At this point, the public is unhappy with Dr Mahathir when a list of promises was not fulfilled – Lynas, Unified Examination Certificate (UEC), abolition of tolls, PTPTN loan, oil royalty for Sabah and Sarawak, and the Indian equation in new Malaysia, just to name a few.
"The Prime Minister cannot act unilaterally on his own, especially on a number of issues that affect the people's confidence towards Pakatan Harapan.
"Of late, he has also irked the government of a number of countries and affected our bilateral relations. India, for example, has decided to boycott our palm oil. This will bring our economy to a halt, especially if China also does the same over Dr Mahathir's comment about Hong Kong chief executive, Carrie Lam.
"Meanwhile, if the call to take action against me is justified, why was no action taken against Azmin Ali who openly defied Pakatan Harapan's agreement on the handover of the Prime Minister's office?" wrote Liu in a Malaysiakini column on Oct 24.
Azmin had stated that Dr Mahathir should serve the full term as the premier as there was no specified time for PKR president Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim to take over before the term is over.
Liu further stated on Thursday (Oct 24) that while he is prepared to face the party disciplinary committee over what he has written on Oct 22, his conscience is clear as he was doing his duty to the people.
"I will be prepared to face the party disciplinary committee as I believe with all my conscience that I was not in the wrong.
"As a Pakatan Harapan loyalist, it is my duty and obligation as an elected representative of the people to speak up on behalf of the people.
It is by doing so that I am able to stay true to the democratic values that we in DAP have held on to.
"Whether it is before the party disciplinary committee or otherwise, I will continue to defend it – the right to freedom of speech.
All of my opinion pieces were written in good faith, and they do not represent the party's position.
There is, therefore, no intention to create disharmony within the coalition and certainly not within the party that I have served for many years.
A lot of the things that I have raised are also based on what the public is expressing openly through social media.
"The people are concerned that the government that they have elected is not able to deliver the promises in the manifesto, especially when the Prime Minister, Dr Mahathir himself said that the manifesto was crafted at a time when Pakatan thought it would not win the Federal Government," wrote Liu.
On Oct 22, Liu received much flak from Pakatan leaders for chastising Dr Mahathir openly.
DAP organising secretary Anthony Loke likened Liu's statements as "sabotaging Pakatan" and had said that he will refer Liu to the party's disciplinary committee.
Read more at https://www.thestar.com.my/news/nation/2019/10/24/ronnie-liu-hits-out-at-dr-m-again-and-azmin#lbYAEjooeYSBeQJh.99
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