MAHATHIR'S NEW DILEMMA - NAJIB & ROSMAH: Malaysia's greatest risk - 1MDB

Prime Minister Najib Razak won a 'life-saving' but brief respite from his Umno party after unprecedented public fury at news that pilgrims fund Tabung Haji had been pressured into buying 1MDB land at grossly inflated prices.

Instead of making Najib account for the trail of 1MDB shenanigans, Umno leaders chose to close an eye and insist there was 'no proof' of wrongdoing. Perhaps the Umno supreme council had no choice but to save face for their president. But their naivete if not sheer stupidity in doing so only bolsters the public perception that Umno is a party led by corrupt crooks out to steal the people's money, especially the non-Malays'.

The shocking Tabung Haji deal has changed this equation. Malays are now not spared from Umno theft. Who - if not Najib - authorized the sale of Malay land to 1MDB at such a cheap price (reported to be RM64 per sq ft before it was resold to Tabung Haji at more than RM2,000 per sq ft).

Actually, Malays have always been the worst victims of pilferage by the Umno elite - they form the bulk of the poor people in the country despite 5 decades of affirmative action. But they chose to be duped by Umno's brand of racial and religious politicking.

And now to make matters worse for Najib and those seen to be complicit with his alleged wrongdoings, the international banks are losing confidence in 1MDB. The banks are bailing out, they want their money back.

So, what new excuses can Muhyiddin, Hishammudin, Shafie Apdal and Najib's other sycophants offer to cover up for him and themselves. Can they continue to play their two-faced game of speaking out against 1MDB this week and the next week, profess 'full support' for Najib?

Tied at the umbilical cord

1MDB and Najib are tied together at the umbilical cord, Najib created the sovereign fund. He is chairman of its highest governing committee - the advisory panel. He is also Finance Minister and 1MDB comes under the jurisdiction of his ministry. No major deal can go through without his okay.

Perhaps this is why Najib's chief critic Dr Mahathir Mohamad has stayed cool. All is not what it seems in Umno. Undercurrents lurk in this intrigue-filled party and these are dangerous for Najib and his brash wife Rosmah Mansor, rather for his critics. Sooner or later, when the timing is right, Najib will be dumped. Already Umno warlords have shown him a glimpse of what he can expect when he is no longer useful to them.

Indeed, the peppering Najib received in the wake of the Tabung Haji scandal and ahead of the Umno 69th anniversary is a real warning he should not forget if he is wise. For that is the real scenario, not the rent-a-crowd rally Sabah Umno organised to help him save face.

This is something that was bound to happen as Najib now stands isolated over the IMDB issue and it looks as if he has lost support of nearly all his staunchest allies as more questions are hurled at him to which few answers are forthcoming.

Najib seems to have painted himself into a corner with the 1MDB issue of losing RM42 billion since its inception six years ago. This is the hard earned money of tax payers and should rightfully go back to every Malaysian citizen.

But what has become a problem has evolved into a major crisis with the passing of months since the 1MDB issue was brought into the open by whistleblowers (who are now being persecuted) to prove beyond doubt the existence of cronyism and rampant and widespread corruption and other abuses.

Transparency International-Malaysia (TI-M) is questioning the practice of the prime minister holding a dual portfolio as the finance minister which dilutes the principle of check-and-balance within the cabinet.

TI-M says it is just no longer viable from the point of view of integrity, transparency and good governance to put such a portfolio with the prime minister. The organization strongly urged the government to discard this practice and appoint a separate and competent person.

Najib asked to resign

In the early stages of the 1MDB controversy Najib was asked to step down from the portfolio of finance minister. But now there are growing calls by Malaysia’s most powerful and influential persons that he resigns as prime minister.

Deputy Prime Minister, Muhyiddin Yassin has been increasing vocal and critical of Najib and said last week that the government’s failure to reply to the 1MDB issue was a key reason why BN lost the Permatang Pauh by-election.

Defence minister, Hishamuddin Hussein, who is UMNO vice-president joined in the fray to criticize Najib and lend credence to the theory that the prime minister has isolated himself by calling for an independent international audit of 1MDB.

UMNO youth chief, Khairy Jamaluddin, who earlier on was seen giving his backing to Najib in the 1MDB fiasco has now back-tracked on his earlier support by stating openly that as the 1MDB saga unfolds it has also become “severe.”

Mahathir’s dilemma

Dr M

There was a huge outcry that sparked outrage by Malaysians over the audacity of the prime minister when it was revealed that Lembaga Tabung Haji had bought 0.66 ha plot of land held by 1MDB in the Tun Razak Exchange for RM 188.5 million.

This means LTH paid over RM 2,700 per sq ft of land but 1MDB had originally acquired the land from the government for a paltry sum of only RM 74.20 per square feet prompting allegations that LTH was involved in bailing out 1MDB.

Former prime minister and UMNO strongman, Mahathir Mohammad, had questioned 1MDB’s huge profit through this sale and the way LTH managed the pilgrim’s fund. Mahathir further stressed that the RM 188.5 million LTH paid for the plot is nearly enough to pay the cost of 1MDB’s purchase of 70 acres which it bought for RM 194.1 million.

Mahathir and other leaders especially those from UMNO are absolutely livid with rage at Najib who is losing all his staunchest allies and support from UMNO and elsewhere as he tries to keep his position of prime minister.

The dilemma of Malaysians

The concern and worry of Malaysians over 1MDB is that there is no openness and transparency on the sovereign wealth fund to which they are participants. Malaysians have a right to know what happened within 1MDB and what is happening.

But Najib remains reserved, aloof and arrogant and have given no clear-cut reasons or explanations as to what happened to the funds within 1MDB to which every Malaysian has a right to know. In this sense, he has failed to be accountable and transparent.

This has led to all sorts of rumors and speculation and Mahathir is leading a revolt against the Najib administration and warned him and given time to explain failing which he will be expelled from holding the chair of prime minister.

Other grievances

Mahathir, UMNO members and Malaysians have a long list of grievances against Najib and his wife Rosmah and their family for their extravagant, flashy and lavish lifestyle for which the backs of Malaysians are being flogged by hard work to fund their pleasures.

It is not just unfair and unjust. The recent Good & Services Tax which was implemented on April 1, 2015 has led to an escalation in the cost of living and rising prices have hit the ordinary Malaysian folk hard to which Najib is to be blamed.

Tabung Haji chairman speaks during a press conference on Tabung Haji and 1MDB land

It is obvious the finances of the country have for some time now been mismanaged and misused and there are gross atrocities in the distribution of wealth with the BR1M actually being an insult to injury as it does little to alleviate the suffering and hardship of Malaysians.

This is why there are overt and covert moves being made by various individuals and organizations to try and evict Najib from the chair of prime minister as soon as possible before he does even further damage by trying to dig deeper to stay on as prime minister.

Malaysians are advised to stay tuned and watch closely for these signs and moves and accordingly lend their support to those who are fighting for the truth of 1MDB to be made known to us all as the real power is with the people.

Support any measure or move that is only for the good of every Malaysian and for the betterment of this country. - MAILBAG