Bangladesh PM's chit-chat shows Najib offered citizenships for votes

Underscoring allegations that Prime Minister Najib Razak was willing to sell citizen-ships to foreigners in order to retain political power, the official website of a unit in the Bangladesh Prime Minister's office has confirmed that Bangladesh workers in Malaysia were asked to vote for Najib's BN coalition.

Skull-duggery and selling out

The shocking piece of news was revealed by PKR vice president Fuziah Salleh, and is the latest piece of evidence that Najib and his cousin, Home Minister Hishammuddin Hussein, have been running a citizen-for-votes campaign in a desperate bid to bump up support ahead of snap polls due within months.

The 58-year-old Najib needs to win two-third of the 222 seats in the Malaysian Parliament or he will be forced to relinquish his post to his deputy Muhyiddin Yassin. As a result, his administration has launched several dubious campaigns to regain popularity with the Malaysian public. The most recent was the repeal of decades-old oppressive laws such as the Internal Security Act and other Emergency laws, although the move contradicted the wishes of his party.

But not has the repeals exasperated his peers in Umno, the move also backfired because Najib - to cover his back - also announced that there would be new replacement laws, thereby making a mockery of his own 'liberalisation'.

Opposition demands RCI

Meanwhile, according to Fuziah, the Pakatan Rakyat federal opposition will demand an emergency sitting of Parliament to debate the Bangladesh claim.

Fuziah and her PKR party are also spearheading a call for a Royal Commission of Inquiry into the citizenship-for-votes allegations levelled at Najib and his administration.

“We want a royal commission of inquiry to investigate Bangladesh Prime Minister’s statement over this matter. If it has actually happened, Najib must be responsible and provide an explanation,” Keadilan Daily website reported Fuziah as saying.

Confirmed by Bangladesh officials

According to the Bangladesh website, Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina met her Najib Razak last year while attending the 66th World Islamic Economic Forum in Kuala Lumpur in May 2010. The two leaders discussed “long standing issues, including legalising Bangladeshi workers in Malaysia” .

“Today, prime minister’s office has allegedly received a confirmation from some of our citizens those working in several sectors in Malaysia since last year that they were given more than citizenships from Malaysian Government. In fact they now have been given a right to be a voter in upcoming Malaysian’s general election," said the website.

“Another highly placed source from prime minister’s office has confirmed that Bangladeshi workers may easily conferred Malaysian citizenship with the condition to vote for party that represents the government in power."

The website also reported Sheikh Hasina as urging her people "to take this opportunity in order to lower the national poverty in line with government’s initiative and numerous measures to solve all major problems, including power and gas crises”.

The Bangladesh revelation confirms the allegations made by the Pakatan against Najib and Hisham over the past months. Both have denied the accusation, although their explanations have been flimsy.

Najib has until 2013 to call for general elections but it is widely believed that he will call for snap polls within the next 6 months.

- Malaysia Chronicle