‘Richard, PM Najib’s reputation needs no defence from you’

YOURSAY l ‘Why did you not use your connections to expedite the second autopsy?’

I am defending Kevin and my PM, says Richard Morais

Quigonbond: I wish Richard Morais hasn't claimed that he is protecting the PM's dignity. Now we know whose side he's on (or at least who he's trying to suck up to) and why he's saying all the things he's saying.

If he only wants the truth, he should just have expressed surprise about the SD (statutory declaration) signed by Charles, and hope that his elder brother produces the evidence quickly and leave it at that without getting into mudslinging.

The PM's reputation isn't so great these days. Attacking Charles just implies a nervous disposition, possibly inferring complicity.

Basically: Thanks Richard for confirming this.

So you are not defending Kevin's credibility, but defending the man who is linked to a lot of unanswered questions, who is chair of 1MDB's advisory board and its final decision-maker, who allegedly had RM2.6 billion in his bank account, etc, and who was the chief executive in charge of the government when all the probes were scuttled.

That doesn't really help your credibility now, does it?

Tan Kim Keong: Defending Kevin's credibility? Who is questioning it or is there any doubts about Kevin's credibility?

Richard should be asking if the alleged charge sheet was really drafted by Kevin instead of making a public outcry about Kevin's and Najib's credibility and the contents of Kevin's will.

By doing so, his own credibility is being questioned.

Odin Tajué: Richard, last Friday (Nov 27), you were reported to have said, "I believe ... and you must quote me, if he has run away, ‘Datuk' (meaning yourself) is going to speak to the prime minister to extradite him," and "I am going to use my connections to extradite him back to the country ... he is still a Malaysian."

One infers three things from this:

1) your impressing on your societal standing in referring to yourself by your honorifics. You gave the idea that you were not an ordinary person but a datuk;

2) that you enjoyed direct communication with Najib; and

3) that you would take advantage of your privileged position (having the ability to speak direct to Najib) to have the ‘bad Charlie' extradited.

Since you now have admitted that you do not enjoy direct communication with Najib, the utterances you made last Friday are construed as bluster, false pomposity.

To very many of us, Najib is much tainted. Last we hear, the members of no fewer than 100 Umno branches don't think very much of him, either. And here you are talking of defending his dignity.

In saying so, you are projecting a picture of servile sycophancy, which is not exactly flattering.

Doubtless you believe that the RM2.6 billion was a donation from a wealthy Arab and that the RM42 million from SRC International was a contribution made as an act of fulfilling the company's corporate social responsibility - though how one person could be considered a society is simply beyond the ken of dimwits such as yours truly.

As I have commented earlier, you really would be well-advised to hold your peace.

Vijay47: Like Richard at the funeral service, I was in tears reading about how valiantly he is defending his dead brother Kevin's memory while protecting his prime minister.

Charles may have his reasons for not yet revealing the contents of the now-famous pen drive; keeping it still a secret raises suspicions of its veracity and his own intentions.

But knowing what happens to anyone saying anything uncomplimentary about "my prime minister", it is understandable.

The late private eye P Balasubramaniam being a classic example, Charles would have set another Malaysian record for foolishness if he did not have in hand a smoking gun.

You have created the wide public awareness that would serve your purpose, Charles, now it is for you to release the pen drive, at least one of the many copies you would have made; lawyer Americk Sindhu no doubt also has one.

We have enough heroes and villains, and to complete the Hindi movie plot, throw in an IGP (inspector-general of police) whose duties apparently includes insulting persons who may not dance according to his tune.

Kalvin Rekhraj: Has the Prime Minister of Malaysia come up with a tag line for himself? Could it be 'Now anyone can meet me!'?

Why would Najib need Richard to protect his dignity? Did Richard forget PM’s wife Rosmah Mansor's dignity, as she too was implicated in the SD?

The fact that Richard had even referred to Najib is bad for the PM and to say that he is doing it to protect Najib's dignity is extremely detrimental to the PM's image.

Najib should seriously speak to Richard and tell him to stop giving statements and referencing him because more harm will be done than good.

Justine Gow: Actually, I was undecided which of the two brothers was telling the truth.

However, hearing one of them addressed that someone as "my PM" who needed "defending", I think the existence of the pen drive as claimed by the other brother should not be taken lightly.

Anonymous 29051438068738: Hey Dick (sorry for the informality but having seen so much of you lately, I feel I know you already), would you care to tell us why you did not use your connections to expedite the second autopsy which the rest of the family had requested and waited for two months?

So please Dick, head back to that dank place you have emerged from and let Najib's usual ‘maruah’ maintenance crew do the defending.

Appum: I do not want to comment on Charles’ or Richard's actions without knowing them in details. All I can see is this is a dysfunctional family washing their dirty linen in public.

What I wish to comment is this thing called "dignity". It looks like this product has been cropping up regularly in our political arena.

In September, some extremists were demanding "maruah Melayu" to be respected, then lately a minister also claimed that "the dignity of the Malays are challenged", now this Datuk Richard claims he wants "to protect the dignity of his (my) PM".

How come nowadays so many leaders are talking about "dignity" being eroded and not recognised? Is dignity really a product that one can buy and sell? Is dignity a birth right? Is dignity derived from lying, cheating, corruption and hypocrisy?

To me dignity is a status - one has to earned it by being honourable, truthful, principled, exemplary, achieving great things through honest and just means, compassionate, and possessing great humility.

Anonymous 122461436161429: We have just been enlightened as to which brother to believe. Charles who has nothing to gain or lose except get to the bottom of his brother’s death or Richard who wants to protect “my PM”.

Vent: The plot thickens in this tragicomedy between the brothers but we would all be better advised to hold our tongues before the final dénouement. The villain of the piece has yet to be completely unveiled. -Mkini