Baru Bian: Rebuild country with new, clean administration

The lawmaker also sees no hope of holding the Prime Minister accountable for his "misdeeds."

KUCHING: Ultimately, said Sarawak Opposition leader Baru Bian in a statement, it’s the ordinary Malaysians who have the real power to remove “this ignominious Prime Minister from his ‘throne’.”

“I urge Sarawakians to lead the way during the upcoming state elections to say ‘Enough!’ to Umno/Barisan Nasional (BN).”

There are no two ways about it, added Baru. “Najib must go.”

For Najib to go, pointed out Baru, Umno must go, and for Umno to go, BN must go.

Only then can the people begin to rebuild the country with a new and clean administration, continued Baru, also Ba Ke’lalan Assemblyman and a senior lawyer in private practice. “Only then can we appoint individuals with impeccable credibility and integrity to head our institutions and enforcement agencies.”

“This is particularly true of the office of the Attorney-General, who has the power to prosecute wrongdoers.”

As long as Umno and BN hold the reins in this country, warned Baru, “we can debate and talk until the cows come home.

“Nothing will change except for the worse.”

Baru pointed out that the country had seen Bersih rallies; and heard former political leaders like Mahathir Mohamad, Rafidah Aziz and Zaid Ibrahim; NGOs, civil society groups and witnessed former top civil servants such as GE25 calling for change. “Najib remains unmoved. The people continue to suffer.”

The economy has taken such a hard knock recently, noted Baru. “Former Finance Minister Daim Zainuddin said that the country was heading for bankruptcy.

“The long-suffering people will have to be prepared to face the brunt of it.”

He was commenting on the Attorney-General’s “outrageous” decision to clear Najib of wrongdoing in spite of the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission’s (MACC) “purported recommendation”. “This is an insult to the intelligence of Malaysians and a betrayal of the office the AG holds.”

“Not that anyone should be surprised, given the circumstances of the AG’s appointment.”

So many commentaries and comments have been made but there was only one conclusion if Malaysia was to be saved from complete and utter ruin, argued Baru in calling for Najib’s removal.

Many people in Umno too are silently angry and frustrated but they cannot or will not speak up, said Baru. “The self-serving Umno leaders and ministers are not going to suddenly find their conscience and question their supreme leader.”

The only thing that the people can hope for was that some courageous person from the Saudi royal family will come forward to admit or deny the claim that the donation came from the late King Abdullah, said Baru.

However, even if it’s admitted, given the current crop of law enforcement heads and prosecutors, “we have no hope of holding the Prime Minister accountable for his misdeeds,” said Baru.