REP CLARIFIES ONLY 45 SIGNED CITIZENS’ DECLARATION, NOT 58

(Malay Mail Online) – The “Citizens’ Declaration” led by former prime minister Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad was signed by 45 high-profile figures and not 58 as announced, a spokesman for the group said today.

The representative who spoke on condition of anonymity also said the secretariat should be able to get former finance minister Tun Daim Zainuddin, Umno vice-president Datuk Seri Shafie Apdal and lawyer Matthias Chang to sign the document soon.

Shafie said yesterday that he has yet to sign it while senior Umno leader Tengku Razaleigh Hamzah has distanced himself from the declaration.

“Forty-five is the correct number on Friday; no other signatories,” the spokesman told Malay Mail Online.

“Tun Daim, Shafie and Matthias Chang have agreed, but they were not present to sign due to other commitments,” he added.

At last Friday’s press conference on the Citizens’ Declaration that called for Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak’s removal, the emcee Syed Saddiq Abdul Rahman — who was also one of the signatories — announced that 58 people had signed it.

Tengku Razaleigh’s name was announced although the Kelantan prince was absent from the press conference.

Malay Consultative Council Integrity Bureau chairman Tan Sri Zaman Khan who was also absent, too was listed as a signatory. He has publicly disavowed to being party to the declaration.

Shafie also did not attend the press conference where 45 prominent Malaysians comprising Dr Mahathir, Barisan Nasional (BN) veterans, opposition leaders and human rights activists signed the Citizens’ Declaration. The list of the 45 people has been posted on the movement’s Facebook page.

Shafie, however, told reporters yesterday that he supported the Citizens’ Declaration that has been signed by suspended Umno deputy president Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin, former Kedah Mentri Besar Datuk Seri Mukhriz Mahathir, DAP parliamentary leader Lim Kit Siang, PKR deputy president Azmin Ali, as well as civil society leaders Datuk Ambiga Sreenevasan, Maria Chin Abdullah and Hishammudin Rais.

The group’s spokesman told Malay Mail Online that an online version of the Citizens’ Declaration, which is open to all, currently has about 25,000 signatories.

The online version requires signatories to state their IC numbers on a Google Form. It is separate from an online petition started by activist Azrul Mohd Khalib in support of the Citizens’ Declaration that has over 35,000 signatories at the time of writing.