Zaid calls for 100,000 in show of unity against Najib

The politicians across the divide must gather, even if it’s for a day, to show the people that they want to save the country.

KUALA LUMPUR: Former de facto Law Minister Zaid Ibrahim has suggested a one day show of unity by 100,000 people gathering to protest against Prime Minister Najib Abdul Razak. He hopes that Selangor Menteri Besar Azmin Ali can provide a stadium for the gathering and the necessary support facilities for a mammoth rally before August 31.

“This is better and more effective than just continuing to vent frustrations in the social media only.”

The people of this country are dying to show their support for any effort to clean up the government, he added. “We must give them the opportunity.”

“Let us show the rakyat that we, the politicians, can unite, even if it’s for a day, across party lines to save the country. This may be the historic moment that, finally, sparks the movement for true unity in our land.”

He suggested that Parliamentary Opposition Leader Wan Azizah Wan Ismail, former Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad, DAP elder statesman Lim Kit Siang, sacked Deputy Prime Minister Muhyiddin Yassin, Mat Sabu and Azmin himself should all turn up. “They should stand together on stage in a show of unity to save Malaysia,” said Zaid. “They should declare that despite their political differences, they would unite to save Malaysia.”

These leaders, he stressed, should not allow those who steal and plunder the nation’s wealth to get away. “They must show the people the power of solidarity against corruption and abuse of power.”

“They must restore our faith in the police and the Attorney- General’s Chambers.”

The good people in Bank Negara and the Malaysian Anti Corruption Commission (MACC) must be protected from corrupt politicians so that they can continue to do their jobs without fear or favour, continued Zaid. “Nothing is more urgent than the rakyat showing the courage to assemble the way people power in the Philippines brought Ferdinand Marcos to book and how everyday Indonesians rallied against Suharto.”

Malaysia, he warned, has become a basket case managed by Ministers and civil servants who seem completely uninterested in defending the institutions of state. “They appear to be interested only in cover-ups and have redefined everything from corruption to ‘activities detrimental to parliamentary democracy’ to suit themselves. They are only loyal to Najib.”

“If this is the ‘wrong perception’, as they now seem to be saying, they have so far done little to correct it.”

Zaid noted that even The Myanmar Times, in a country which lived under military dictatorship for over 50 years, has felt it necessary to warn Malaysians about their impending loss of good governance and democracy. “We should be ashamed that it has written a scathing editorial about the extent of tyranny perpetrated by our leaders against our people.”

Zaid reminded that many things have taken place in the country and deeply embarrassed the people in the eyes of the world. First, he said, it was the billions of ringgit found in Najib’s personal banking accounts, then, after a protracted silence, came the downright, stupid excuse that “it was a small matter”, a “donation”, and so forth, while the unanswered questions about the RM42 billion 1MDB scandal were conveniently swept under the carpet.

Deputy Prime Minister Muhyiddin Yassin was sacked and a day earlier Attorney- General Abdul Gani Patail suffered the same fate, then MACC officers working with the Special Task Force were arrested, continued Zaid. “Now, it seems that Bank Negara Governor Zeti Akhtar Aziz and her officers might be next on the police hit list.”