Removal of Najib might be least of the problems

History is not made under preferred circumstances, but when circumstances present themselves.

I think such circumstances have presented themselves, independent of the likes and dislikes of many reform minded organisations in Malaysia.

It is not easy for disparate political organisations and non-governmental bodies to come together for a common cause in Malaysia because of ideological, ethnic, social and practical differences.

Such a coming together was unthinkable until last Friday when nearly 60 members from political parties, particularly from the opposition, NGOs, former members of Umno and others, came together to ink what has become known as the Citizens' Declaration.

The rallying point of this coming together was none other than former prime minister Dr Mahathir Mohamad who is the foremost critic of Najib Abdul Razak, the current premier of Malaysia.

It is indeed ironical, Najib who was chosen to lead the country by Mahathir, has become his number one political enemy.

The declaration was premised on the fact that the country has suffered tremendously under Najib and there is no other political option than his removal.

It was stated at that Malaysia, under Najib, had been rendered corrupt, funds meant for development had been squandered through illegal transfers, investigations into corruption practices had been thwarted and most importantly, the country had lost its direction in addressing the socio-economic woes of the people.

While the main and overriding objective was the removal of Najib, it was also pointed out that those who acted in concert with him should meet a similar fate. It also called for the repeal of laws and regulations that ran counter to the country's constitution and the resuscitation of public institutions such as the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC), Bank Negara and the Public Accounts Committee (PAC).

This get-together of individuals with diametrically opposed views on various issues from the management of race relations to the proper governance of the country, can be described as historic.

It was like a dream coming true, at least for some.

Unanswered questions

While we give credit to all those who have contributed in one way or another to the realisation of this citizens’ initiative, there are many questions that remain unanswered.

There are no immediate answers; only time might provide some clues.

The most important question in the minds of Malaysians is whether Mahathir is the right person to lead such an initiative, given his questionable role as the prime minister of the country.

There are many who think that the rot started when he was in power and Najib merely continued what Mahathir had put in place, the only difference being that he had made it worse - some would say beyond redemption.

Mahathir might have ceased to be member of Umno, but then he is not against Umno but against Najib.

To many, the problem is not merely Najib but the entire Umno-BN political structure, which they regard as the source of all evils.

But what would happen if Najib was removed, would Mahathir rejoin Umno and declare everything is all right?

Are Mahathir’s criticisms of Najib altruistic in nature or might they have something to do with his personal ambitions and that of his family?

Does he think that Najib had "betrayed" him for not following his advice on various matters?

I perfectly understand that putting forward a coalition of forces such as this is not simple matter.

Some kind of historical bracketing is necessary as it will be counter-productive to go too far back or even forward in history.

What is important is to deal with a problematic phenomenon at a particular juncture in time and leave the rest to history.

Some heads of political parties and NGOs are in to take advantage and advance their own agenda. They might agree with Mahathir regarding the removal of Najib, but then their demands might go beyond that.

I am sure the political considerations of DAP, PKR and Pakatan Harapan are much broader than the mere removal of Najib.

But then, they might not be able to put together such a coalition by themselves. They are aware of their shortcomings.

The opposition needs Mahathir, but whether he needs them is yet to be determined.

Whatever is said and done, we cannot dismiss such a formation as mere coalition of opportunists.

They might have various views and perspectives on what is good for Malaysia. But surely they accept the common denominator that the removal of Najib is the paramount consideration.

The real battle for Najib's removal has begun.

Let us see how these forces behind this citizen’s initiative hold together to realise this historic mission.

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P RAMASAMY is Deputy Chief Minister II of Penang and the state assemblyperson for Perai. -Mkini