Najib’s credibility still ‘in tatters’ despite PSM6 release, says Lim

By Shazwan Mustafa Kamal

July 30, 2011

The DAP has listed down four things Najib needed to do to restore his credibility. - file pic

KUALA LUMPUR, July 30 — Lim Kit Siang today reminded Datuk Seri Najib Razak that his credibility as Prime Minister was “in tatters” due to his administration’s gross mishandling of several issues, and said that the release of the six Parti Sosialis Malaysia (PSM) members from their Emergency Ordinance (EO) detention yesterday did not change anything.

The Prime Minister has insisted that the release of the PSM members, including Sungai Siput MP Dr Jeyakumar Devaraj was done according to the due process of the law, and that it was made by the police based on “their observations.” “It was his greatest failure of leadership as Prime Minister leaving his credibility in tatters — which is why his claim yesterday that the release of the PSM6 under the Emergency Ordinance was in accordance with the rule of law was met with nation-wide derision.”

“Najib cannot be more wrong if he thinks that he had restored his credibility with the release of the PSM6 yesterday,” said Lim in a statement today.

The DAP parliamentary leader listed down four things Najib needed to do to restore his credibility — make Home Minister Datuk Seri Hishammuddin Hussein and Inspector-General of Police Tun Ismail Omar tender a public apology to the six PSM members and repeal the EO as well as all oppressive laws. He said that Najib should also lift the ban on Bersih 2.0 and end the government’s persecution of people wearing yellow t-shirts, and set up a Royal Commission of Inquiry (RCI) on free and fair elections.

Besides that, Lim demanded Najib take “firm action” against Utusan Malaysia for carrying out “insidious and seditious” articles to incite ethnic hatred and religious tensions in the country.

The Ipoh Timur MP also urged the PM to charge the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Agency (MACC) officers found by Teoh Beng Hock Royal Commission of Inquiry as having committed a “host of offences and crimes”, including perjury. Lim added that a special investigation squad needed to be set up to determine the real cause and circumstances surrounding Teoh’s death.

“It is only when Najib is prepared to tackle these four basic things that he can hope to begin to recover his credibility which suffered a fatal blow in the past five weeks as a result of the government’s gross mishandling of the 709 Bersih 2.0 rally and arbitrary arrests of the PSM6,” said Lim.