Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim’s painting of Daim Zainuddin’s family as those attempting to destabilise the country through foreign intervention echoes Najib Abdul Razak’s crackdown on those vocal against 1MDB, claimed PAS member Khairuddin Abu Hassan.
In 2015, Khairuddin, who was then the Batu Kawan Umno deputy chief, travelled to multiple countries to lodge reports over the global financial scandal, leading to his arrest and detention under the Security Offences (Special Measures) Act 2012 (Sosma).
Apart from a probe under Section 124C of the Penal Code on attempts to commit activities detrimental to parliamentary democracy, Khairuddin (above) was also charged under Section 124L for alleged sabotage of financial institutions.
Daim’s widow, Na’imah Abdul Khalid, is now being probed over similar allegations, namely under Section 124B for allegedly threatening parliamentary democracy after a police report implicated her in a supposed plot to topple the government using international media outlets to mount pressure on Anwar and MACC chief commissioner Azam Baki.
Sections 124B to 124N were introduced into the Penal Code in 2012 during Najib's premiership, with then-opposition leaders and critics claiming that the law had been unfairly utilised against those who sought to expose the 1MDB scandal.
As a former target, Khairuddin opined that the similarity between his case and the ongoing one initiated against Daim’s family is that neither party had actively sought to sabotage the ruling government.
“Daim’s family wanted to counter accusations against him and preserve his good name - that has nothing to do with undermining democracy,” the Malacca PAS information committee member told Malaysiakini.
“(The probe against Na’imah demonstrates how) the law and authorities are being used to intimidate critics and political rivals - the police, MACC, and the AGC (Attorney-General’s Chambers) are being used as tools.
“What happened to me was evidence of that happening in the past, and now it is happening again,” he asserted.
‘False and preposterous’
Na’imah has denied involvement in the alleged plot, labelling the content of the police report as “false and preposterous”.
In arguing that the timing of the police report points to a desperate attempt to distract the public from growing calls for Azam’s removal from office, she also pointed out that the report was lodged on the heels of one of the biggest scandals plaguing the Anwar-led government.
On March 2, a 13-page “communications plan”, understood to be prepared in August last year as part of Daim’s family’s efforts to preserve the former finance minister’s reputation amid legal action by the MACC, was leaked.
The plan, designed to run over two years up to the next general election, outlined a strategy that seemingly sought to undermine the government's narrative by framing legal proceedings against Daim and his family as a politically motivated attack, rather than a legitimate anti-corruption effort.
Besides “background briefings with key international media” to “help shape their perspective on Malaysia/influence their editorialising,” the document also suggested engaging with parliamentarians to generate "pressure and accountability”.
Failure of enforcement bodies
Khairuddin, who lodged a report against 1MDB with the US Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) three years after his 60-day detention under Sosma, viewed the actions of Daim’s family as a consequence of what he described as failures within the country’s enforcement bodies.
“When domestic institutions cripple and fail, the act of seeking international recourse is an act of patriotism, not an act of betrayal,” he said.
He also referenced Anwar’s past, particularly his 1998 expulsion from Umno and removal as deputy prime minister, at a time when Khairuddin was widely viewed as a proxy for then-prime minister Dr Mahathir Mohamad.
“(Following his removal from office) Anwar travelled around the globe to solicit assistance from foreign powers and international media to topple (Mahathir’s) leadership.
“(Anwar) orchestrated street mobs and demonstrations to topple a government chosen by the rakyat - no one can erase facts of history, but now, look who’s talking about how it is unethical and against the law to topple a government,” Khairuddin remarked.
As such, he likened Anwar’s repeated warnings against “foreign sabotage” as part of a “psychological warfare” utilising “propaganda” to create fear among the public, rather than a reflection of genuine national security concerns.
“To Anwar, foreign assistance is good if it is in his favour, but very dangerous if it can be used to topple his government,” he said.
Previously, opposition lawmaker Shahidan Kassim had quizzed Anwar on his alleged double standards when it comes to lobbying foreign power, with the PAS MP referencing a MalaysiaNow report on PKR’s 2016 communications with a US political consultancy firm.
The talks were said to have been aimed at clearing Anwar’s name as he served his prison sentence for sodomy and exerting pressure on Najib’s government, which was then struggling with the 1MDB scandal.
Responding to Shahidan, Anwar told the Dewan Rakyat that Daim’s family had not been “merely lobbying for freedom,” as they were instead “questioning the nation’s entire system and challenging the government’s position.”
Former PKR vice-president Sivarasa Rasiah later confirmed with Malaysiakini that PKR had been in touch with the Washington-based firm, adding that lobbying for the release of political detainees was normal and "perfectly acceptable". - Mkini
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