Najib's version of 'Nothing to Hide'

Phew! That was nice. Finally, our prime minister has spoken. He was in his element. Instead of maintaining golden silence, he took the bull by its horns.

After having refused to utter a word against serious and scurrilous allegations thrown down his alley, Prime Minister Najib Abdul Razak retaliated with so much gusto that it left many Malaysians wondering what happened during the interim period.

All the bottled-up anger; the heart-filled frustration and the lies being bandied around must have taken its toll. Like a soul breaking free from the clutches of some unseen hands, Najib Razak on Sunday spoke his mind – on his own mini-version of “Nothing to Hide”.

We reckon he refused to take advice from his minders and felt that, like fellow Malaysians, he too must use the freedom of expression which he had espoused a few days earlier.

As the rains opened up in Penang, Najib denied he paid PAS RM90 million to stop the Islamist party from questioning issues relating to 1Malaysia Development Bhd (1MDB).

“I have never given money to PAS, that is why PAS is suing Sarawak Report. We await the decision. Clare (Rewcastle-Brown) is already panicking (gelabah). When have we given RM90 million to PAS but I don’t want to comment much as the matter is in the courts,” Najib told Umno members at the party’s social media convention.

The Umno president added that such stories were being propagated by the Opposition in order to “tarnish” the party and his image, especially on social media.

Much later, at the MCA convention, came the unabated salvo and the tone of the language: “They threatened to change everything. Supposedly we have sold our sovereignty. What sovereignty? Kepala bapa kau (literally, 'your father's head') – I'm sorry for using some coarse language because it's illogical.”

Yes, he went after those who mentioned the accusations that had been made against him online. Among them, he said, was photo-shopped image allegedly showing his wife, Rosmah Mansor, present in a cabinet meeting during an official trip to Beijing in 2015, as well as various allegations linking him to the murder of Mongolian model Altantuya Shaariibuu.

“There are things being spread that don't make sense, such as the allegations surrounding the Altantuya case, but people still believe them. They photo-shopped Altantuya's face on another body, and my face on someone else's body, and claim that we had met. But it is obvious that such photos are doctored.”

Shouldn’t Malaysians be delighted that the PM is leading the way in fighting what he terms as “fake news”? Instead of labelling them and leaving his firefighters at that, he has taken the trouble to explain. Well done, sir!

On the same breath, could you throw some light on what has been reported internationally and confirm if the documents have been doctored? There’re a few photographs of you and members of your family with notorious businessperson Low Taek Jho circulating on the net. Sir, can you once and for all deny that you were not on board his yacht and that you do not know him? No one can tell you how to choose your friends, but in this instance, many Malaysians do care!

Sir, did you give all that money to your stepson Riza to start a film company? Your siblings say that you come from humble beginnings and little wealth. This being the case, what was was the source of the funds?

Sir, you do remember Jose Ugaz (photo), do you? He is the head honcho of Transparency International. He was invited to this country in 2015 and then, you were advised by your trusty “minister of integrity” to do a runner. Why didn’t you face him? Is it because you knew ahead of his questions? Why don’t you answer them? (They are reproduced in full):

• “What does that mean for Malaysia? The government has taken measures and initiatives to tackle corruption. We will surely hear that from the minister. We want to see more progress, but that cannot happen while there are unanswered questions about the US$700m that made its way into the prime minister’s personal bank account.
   
• “In recent weeks, we have seen the AG, who was critical of the government, suddenly replaced, the 1MDB task force suspended, investigators at the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission arrested or transferred, and newspapers suspended for reporting on the matter. These are not the actions of a government that is fighting corruption. We may well hear promises of reform. That is not what is needed at this time. And, promises alone will not restore confidence and trust.
   
• “There are two questions that need to be answered: who paid the money and why? Where did it go? One man could answer those questions. If that does not happen, then only a fully independent investigation, free from political interference, can uncover the truth. Until that happens, no claim from the government on anti-corruption will be credible.”

Sir, it has been more than two years since these questions were raised in an international platform. Answers have not been forthcoming. How do you expect Malaysians, or for that matter, the world, to look at you? Since you have answered the issue of donations to PAS and Altantunya, what about these questions? Don’t we deserve answers, or should they be restricted to cyber troopers and MCA delegates?

While at it, could you also tinkle into your brains and tell us why you paid RM9.5 million to your lawyer and RM4.5 million to a senior military officer. Perhaps then, Malaysians can be less cynical of what comes out of the mouths of the equivalents of Chemical Ali and CGPA3.74!

PS: The list is endless. There are many more answers that the rakyat need. Shouting off a couple of answers may not be the right approach, especially with the elections around the corner.

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R NADESWARAN is elated the prime minister has joined the bandwagon, but wonders if he can make up for all the lost time having listened to his coterie of self-appointed advisers. Comments: citizen.nades22@gmail.com -Mkini