'1MDB a threat to national dignity, not Harapan's EU meet'

It is 1MDB which has brought harm to national dignity and not Pakatan Harapan representatives' meeting with European Union ambassadors, said the coalition's deputy chairperson Dr Wan Azizah Wan Ismail today. 

Speaking at a press conference, Wan Azizah questioned how a meeting could constitute a threat to national dignity.

“How (is) it that when we meet someone, it threatens the dignity of Malaysia?

“When 1MDB reaches other shores, goes to the courts and puts a slur on our country and our leadership, that is threatening the dignity of our country,” she said. 

1MDB and 1MDB-linked cases have been investigated by the authorities in the US, Switzerland, Hong Kong, Singapore, Australia, Thailand, Luxembourg and the UAE, but no one has faced the music back home in Malaysia. 

The PKR president was responding to Foreign Minister Anifah Aman's (photo) statement that Harapan leaders meeting with the EU ambassadors had belittled the dignity of the nation and was unpatriotic. 

Anifah had also accused Harapan of eliciting “foreign intervention in the country” by virtue of having the meeting, while Umno Supreme Council member Mahdzir Khalid said international observers were not needed for the 14th general election.

Wan Azizah rubbished Anifah’s claim and “maintained it was “very normal” to ask for international observers for elections.

Also present at the press conference was PKR Strategy Director Sim Tze Tzin, who said it was “international practice” for foreign observers to be present during elections.

“(Elections in) regional countries including Indonesia, Cambodia, and the Philippines are monitored by independent overseas observers,” he added.

EU invited Harapan

Meanwhile, it was the EU that invited Harapan leaders to the meeting, added PKR Information Chief Syed Ibrahim Syed Noh.

“It was an event that was held at the residence of the EU ambassador (Maria Castillo Fernandez) so I don’t think it is something difficult to understand that it was an invitation given by EU to Harapan to meet,” he said.

Among those in attendance at the two-hour meeting were Harapan chairperson and PM-designate Dr Mahathir Mohammad, Amanah president Mohamad Sabu, Bersatu supreme council member Abdul Rashid Abdul Rahman, DAP chairperson Tan Kok Wai, PKR vice-president Xavier Jeyakumar and Pakatan Harapan secretariat chief Saifuddin Abdullah.

They met with 14 ambassadors and three chargé d'affaires (ambassador's deputies) from the EU member states.

"Among the topics discussed were EU observers for the upcoming general election by invitation of the Malaysian government and the developments in EU member states on the 1MDB scandal," revealed Bersatu supreme council member A Kadir Jasin previously.

- Mkini