Zipped lips on 1MDB - Kit Siang commends Najib's 'survival instinct'

DAP supremo Lim Kit Siang has commended former prime minister Najib Abdul Razak's "survival instinct" over the latter's decision to no longer respond in public to questions on the 1MDB scandal.

In a statement today, Kit Siang questioned the reason behind Najib's change in stance from a "tell-all" before the election to a "total clampdown" now.

Najib yesterday said he had been advised not to respond to Finance Minister Lim Guan Eng's questions in relation to 1MDB as it would be "inappropriate" since investigations were ongoing.

The former premier said in this "limited context", he did not see any benefit in engaging in a public discourse with Guan Eng on the issue.

Najib, said Kit Siang, was "right" for the first time in a long while.

"It will not only not benefit him at all but will be a great detriment to him to engage in a public discourse with Guan Eng or anyone else on the 1MDB scandal, undoubtedly the greatest global scam in recent times.

"Najib’s survival instinct seems to have kicked in as he had been living in a bubble of his own and that of his highly-paid advisers’ creation, completely divorced from reality."

Najib's apparent "greatest failure in life", Kit Siang added, was to believe in the fairy tales of his highly-funded advisers that it was possible to fool the country about the 1MDB scandal.

"Najib’s belated realisation that it will not benefit him to discuss the 1MDB is in sharp contrast to his hubris during the general election when he unleashed (1MDB CEO) Arul Kanda Kandasamy on a 1MDB roadshow during the 14th general election campaign."

Najib, he added, should explain if he has nothing to hide.

"Why has he reverted from the “tell-all” stance of “ask anything about 1MDB” during the 14th general election to a “total clampdown” when at this late stage he should come completely clean about the 1MDB scandal, to salvage whatever is possible of his public persona, reputation and credibility?

"Furthermore, who will be the first from the 730-odd BN parliamentary and state assembly candidates in the 14th general election who will break ranks with Najib to demand that the former prime minister should come clean on the 1MDB scandal?" -Mkini