Kit Siang: Gani should say ‘Yes’ or ‘No’ in public

Malaysians only want a simple “Yes” or “No” answer from those in authority to equally simple questions.

KUALA LUMPUR: The root of the current political and economic problems in Malaysia, lamented DAP elder statesman Lim Kit Siang, was the fact that the country has a world-renowned Prime Minister who could not start with a simple “Yes” or “No” to the equally simple question on whether nearly USD700 million was deposited in his personal bank accounts in AmBank Islamic private banking services just before the last General Election in 2013.

Now, added Lim, Malaysia has to worry whether it has an Attorney-General who is similarly afflicted with the malady and is unable to give a simple “Yes” or “No” to the question on whether his predecessor, Abdul Gani Patail, had been sacked. “His tenure does not run out until October 6.”

Lim, who is also DAP Parliamentary leader and Gelang Patah MP, demanded that Gani appear in public to explain whether there was any basis in the Sarawak Report exclusive about the purported charge sheet against the Prime Minister for corruption as Gani was still in the legal and judicial service.

Surely, said Lim, Gani has not disappeared into thin air since his sudden, summary and shocking sacking as Attorney-General on Monday, and after he answered queries from the media on Tuesday to express his surprise and ignorance at the termination of his tenure.

Surely, continued Lim, Malaysia has not become a modern-day Stalinist Kremlin where a person could suddenly become a non-person and disappear into the Gulag Archipelago?

“Malaysians have a right to see and hear from the previous Attorney-General Gani on whether he was in the final drafting stage to charge the Prime Minister for corruption when he was suddenly and summarily sacked as Attorney-General,” argued Lim. “Malaysians do not appreciate euphemisms from the new Attorney-General Apandi Ali or from the Chief Secretary to the Government Ali Hamsa.”

“Ali was clearly less than truthful on Gani’s termination as Attorney-General effectively July 27 as being due to health reasons. The ‘health’ here clearly refers to Gani’s ‘political health’ and not ‘physical health’ whether of the kidney or other variety.”

Lim expressed surprise that Apandi, this morning, went on the offensive, firing with both barrels, dismissing the purported draft as “false”, alleging that it pointed in the direction of a plot to topple the Prime Minister and warned of stern action against the perpetrators.

Lim noted that Apandi said: “These alleged charge papers therefore indicate there is a conspiracy to topple a serving prime minister by criminalizing him, and that the methods include doctoring (documents) and criminal leakage.”

“This plot represents a threat to Malaysia’s democracy and I will direct for all possible actions to be taken to investigate the matter.”

“The full force of the law will be applied without exception on any that are found guilty.”

It would appear, said Lim, that there was a lengthening list of people who could be hauled in a dragnet against a so-called ring of conspirators in an international plot to “criminalize” Najib and to topple the elected Prime Minister, and who could be charged under Section 124 of the Penal Code for “activities detrimental to parliamentary democracy” which could send persons convicted of the charge for up to 20 years in jail.

“But the denial by Apandi and the AG’s Chambers are grossly inadequate.”

When contacted last night about Sarawak Report’s exclusive article, Apandi declined to comment on the grounds that he did not know anything about the report, noted Lim.

Late last night, he said, the Attorney-General’s Chambers head of prosecution division Tun Abdul Majid Tun Hamzah tweeted a denial regarding the charge sheet.

The sudden sacking of Gani, said Lim, has been aggravated with the Sarawak Report publication of the draft of the charge sheet purportedly done by him against the Prime Minister and another person. “Sarawak Report said the charge sheet against Najib, in the final draft stages, had led to Gani’s sacking on Monday although his contract as Attorney-General was until October 6,” said Lim.

“The site said that Gani was abruptly removed when he was ‘on the brink’ of filing corruption charges against the Prime Minister.”

Sarawak Report, continued Lim, said the charge sheet against Najib was under Section 17 (a) of the MACC Act and an alternate charge under Section 409 of the Penal Code. “The first charge carries a penalty of up to 20 years in prison.”