Muhyiddin: More will support Citizens’ Declaration

Suspended Umno Deputy President says more support for the declaration will make those around Najib jittery.

PETALING JAYA: More people will support the Citizens’ Declaration (CD) calling for Prime Minister Najib Razak’s removal and this is making the people around Najib jittery, says suspended Umno Deputy President Muhyiddin Yassin.

In a Facebook post, Muhyiddin said many people from all walks of life have voiced their support for the CD online, which was being pushed by political leaders from both sides of the divide and civil society leaders, and he was confident that more would step forward.

He regretted that some Umno leaders cited DAP Advisor, Lim Kit Siang’s participation in the declaration as being a DAP move to destroy Umno and that former premier Mahathir Mohamad was a traitor.

He said these accusations were not true and stressed that the CD was not an agenda of any political party but stemmed from the concern of individuals from various backgrounds that Najib was no longer fit to lead the country due to the scandals he was implicated in.

The former deputy prime minister also questioned why he, along with Mahathir and former Kedah MB Mukhriz Mahathir could not sit with other politicians and civil society leaders to save Malaysia while Najib could sit on the same stage with PAS president Abdul Hadi Awang for the purpose of political cooperation.

“Why use different standards to compare us with Najib?”

Muhyiddin also slammed the irony of those who claimed the CD was undemocratic when information pertaining to 1MDB was classified under Official Secrets Act.

“Is Najib’s administration keen on hiding more misappropriations related to 1MDB from the public? Is this a democratic move?”

The Pagoh Umno chief also addressed views that a Prime Minister could not be removed except through elections.

He said Najib stepping down mid-term will not result in the BN government being replaced , just as what happened when former premiers Tunku Abdul Rahman, Tun Hussein Onn and Tun Abdullah Ahmad Badawi stepped down while in power.

Muhyiddin pointed out that in Abdullah’s case, the resignation of Malaysia’s fifth prime minister allowed Najib to ascend to the post.

The only difference he said, was the calls for Najib’s removal was not for political reasons but due to Najib’s scandals which brought into question his morals and integrity, hence this was no longer an issue of Umno leadership but a national issue.

He said this was why those behind the CD had put aside their political differences to save Malaysia, therefore it was unfair to label them as traitors.

Muhyiddin warned that if Umno and BN leaders remained in denial and continued to support an indefensible individual then the people would totally reject Umno and BN.

Last week, 58 politicians from both sides of the divide, as well civil society leaders and activists, signed the Citizens’ Declaration calling for Najib’s removal.