FREE Prime Minister Najib Abdul Razak should stop the harassment of those demonstrating on issues in public places, the Centre to Combat Corruption & Cronyism (C4) urged today.
Instead, Najib should immediately answer the people’s questions on the 1Malaysia Development Bhd (1MDB) controversy and come clean on his personal wealth, including declaring his assets and sources of income.
“C4 reminds the government that Malaysians have every right to express opinions and get answers to the ongoing controversies involving losses of public funds.
“The suspicious movement of massive money in the 1MDB saga, coupled with the continuous reports of the extravagant lifestyle of the prime minister and his wife, call for transparency.
“Good and open governance must compel Najib’s leadership to answer to the people, and not shut them out,” C4 said in a statement.
The statement comes in response to a slew of arrests following the May Day rally in Kuala Lumpur.
Although the protest was centred on the Goods and Services Tax (GST) implemented last month, issues such as the 1MDB scandal and allegations of the extravagant lifestyle of Najib and his family were also highlighted.
'Abolish the Sedition Act'
Meanwhile, C4 also took issue with reports from the remand hearings of C4 legal adviser Ambiga Sreenevasan, Parti Sosialis Malaysia secretary-general S Arutchelvan and Seremban MP Anthony Loke, where speeches on “corruption, the lavish wedding of the prime minister’s daughter and 1MDB” were deemed seditious and used to justify a lengthy investigation.
Ambiga (right), Arutchelvan and Loke were subsequently released, after the remand applications sought by the police were rejected.
C4 also called on the government to abolish the Sedition Act, as it has repeatedly shown to be open to abuse.
“How can public outcry over such devastatingly real issues be deemed seditious? How are questions related to public accountability and public money seditious?
“The hallmark of any functioning democracy must surely be a government that is responsive and accountable to its people.
“Forcing an iron fist approach to cull discontent manifests an insecure, desperate political leadership that is nervously losing the plot, throwing itself into greater peril by removing itself from the people’s anguish,” C4 added.
Instead, Najib should immediately answer the people’s questions on the 1Malaysia Development Bhd (1MDB) controversy and come clean on his personal wealth, including declaring his assets and sources of income.
“C4 reminds the government that Malaysians have every right to express opinions and get answers to the ongoing controversies involving losses of public funds.
“The suspicious movement of massive money in the 1MDB saga, coupled with the continuous reports of the extravagant lifestyle of the prime minister and his wife, call for transparency.“Good and open governance must compel Najib’s leadership to answer to the people, and not shut them out,” C4 said in a statement.
The statement comes in response to a slew of arrests following the May Day rally in Kuala Lumpur.
Although the protest was centred on the Goods and Services Tax (GST) implemented last month, issues such as the 1MDB scandal and allegations of the extravagant lifestyle of Najib and his family were also highlighted.
'Abolish the Sedition Act'
Meanwhile, C4 also took issue with reports from the remand hearings of C4 legal adviser Ambiga Sreenevasan, Parti Sosialis Malaysia secretary-general S Arutchelvan and Seremban MP Anthony Loke, where speeches on “corruption, the lavish wedding of the prime minister’s daughter and 1MDB” were deemed seditious and used to justify a lengthy investigation.
Ambiga (right), Arutchelvan and Loke were subsequently released, after the remand applications sought by the police were rejected.C4 also called on the government to abolish the Sedition Act, as it has repeatedly shown to be open to abuse.
“How can public outcry over such devastatingly real issues be deemed seditious? How are questions related to public accountability and public money seditious?
“The hallmark of any functioning democracy must surely be a government that is responsive and accountable to its people.
“Forcing an iron fist approach to cull discontent manifests an insecure, desperate political leadership that is nervously losing the plot, throwing itself into greater peril by removing itself from the people’s anguish,” C4 added.
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