The Special Branch Decides Who Becomes PM

Anyway, the point is, whoever takes over as Malaysia’s Eighth Prime Minister is not up to the party or the voters but up to the Special Branch. And, if the Special Branch is not happy with what is currently going on, they can even bring Najib back as Prime Minister, if that is what they want. And that is the reality of Malaysian politics. 

THE CORRIDORS OF POWER

Raja Petra Kamarudin

I was first detained by the Special Branch in April 2001. My second detention was in August 2008 and in between that I was arrested and interrogated a number of times plus was charged four times for sedition and criminal defamation. I was also summoned to London, Singapore, Jakarta and Bangkok by the Special Branch for interrogation (probably 20 times or more from 2010 to 2015). One interrogation was held in Manchester — and at that time Haris Ibrahim a.k.a. Sam (The People’s Parliament) was in town.

Having had regular contacts with the Special Branch I more or less know how they think and what they want.

I have had countless contacts with the Special Branch since 2001

If you notice, I mentioned above that I met the Special Branch ‘probably 20 times or more from 2010 to 2015’. Why 2015? Why was that last ‘summons’ in 2015? Well, there is a reason for this and I will explain later.

In my first encounter with the Special Branch in 2001 (where I underwent two months of daily interrogation while under solitary confinement), they made it very clear that our effort to oust then Prime Minister Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad and replace him with Anwar Ibrahim is going to fail.

That is because the Special Branch, and not street demonstrations, will determine who becomes Malaysia’s Prime Minister, they told me. No one will become prime minister unless the Special Branch wants him to become prime minister and if the prime minister ‘tak betul jalan’ the Special Branch will remove him.

The Special Branch made sure Anwar went to jail

I had a number of family members in the Special Branch so I knew this was no idle boast. In 1997, when Anwar Ibrahim tried to oust Mahathir and take over as prime minister, he ended up in jail. It was the Special Branch that played the major role in getting Anwar nailed for corruption and sodomy (in fact, the Special Branch bosses testified in court to make the case against Anwar stick).

In 2008, it was the Special Branch that advised Tun Abdullah Ahmad Badawi to listen to Mahathir and resign as Prime Minister. If not, he is going to get ousted and will be arrested and charged for various crimes — which means he is going to end up in jail instead of enjoying his retirement with his new wife.

Abdullah took the advice of the Special Branch and peacefully rode off into the sunset without having to endure any criminal charges, raids on his homes, freezing of his bank accounts, confiscation of his property, and so on (in spite of the fact that since 2006 Mahathir had been saying Abdullah had committed many crimes).

Abdullah Badawi took the Special Branch’s advice and resigned as Prime Minister and was spared jail

In 2013, the Special Branch also advised Najib Tun Razak to heed Mahathir’s advice and resign. Najib, however, refused to take the advice of the Special Branch. So, in 2014, the operation to oust Najib was launched — headed by the current Director of the Special Branch, Hamid Bador.

If Najib had taken the advice of the Special Branch and resigned back in 2013 or 2014, he would have been allowed to retire in peace. But because they needed to push him out by force, they are making him pay for his ‘recalcitrance’. And that is why Najib is facing what Abdullah did not have to face.

So now Mahathir is back in office. And Anwar wants Mahathir out as soon as possible so that he can take over as Malaysia’s Eighth Prime Minister. Will that happen?

Hamid Bador, the Special Branch Director who openly pledged his support for Mahathir

Well, to know that answer, you need to ask the Special Branch Director, Hamid Bador. Does the Special Branch want Anwar as Malaysia’s new Prime Minister? If the answer is no, then it is not going to happen. If the answer is yes, then Anwar is going to become Malaysia’s Eighth Prime Minister in the not too distant future?

What about democracy? What about the peoples’ choice? If democracy and the peoples’ choice are what determines who becomes prime minister, Anwar would have become prime minister on 1st November 1999.

Anyway, I said earlier that my last ‘summons’ by the Special Branch was in 2015. Actually, it was on 27th July 2015 to be exact. And it was in London at the Holiday Villa in Leinster Gardens.

The Special Branch played a major role in ousting Najib, as they did in ousting Anwar and Abdullah Badawi

The Special Branch Director told me they want Najib out and that this is what Mahathir wants. I knew this is what Mahathir wants because I had met the old man four months before that and he told me so. But I was not too comfortable about supporting the move to oust Najib because Mahathir could not confirm once Najib is ousted who would replace him.

I told the Special Branch Director that I would rather support Najib because I do not know what is going to happen once Najib is ousted. Will Muhyiddin Yassin take over as Prime Minister? The following day (28th July 2015) Muhyiddin was removed and replaced with Ahmad Zahid Hamidi, making the uncertainty even worse.

Mahathir, however, was not happy with Zahid. He said Zahid is Anwar’s proxy and he does not want anyone linked to Anwar as Prime Minister. So, if Mahathir does not want anyone linked to Anwar as Prime Minister, why would Mahathir want Anwar as Prime Minister?

This just made the murky waters even murkier. Hence by supporting Mahathir to oust Najib, it just meant we are opening ourselves to too many uncertainties. And, according to the Special Branch in our meeting on 27th July 2015, we have to support Mahathir to oust Najib so that Anwar cannot become Prime Minister — a statement that did not quite make sense. 

Okay, they do not want Najib. They do not want Zahid. They also do not want Anwar. Who, then, do they want as Malaysia’s Prime Minister. Sementara waktu it will be Mahathir. But how long is sementara? How long can Mahathir stay as Prime Minister? And who will Mahathir’s successor be?

I told the Special Branch on 27th July 2015 that I am throwing my lot behind Najib. And that was the last meeting we ever had. I did, however, receive one nasty WhatsApp message from Hamid Bador condemning me for ‘selling myself to Najib for just a few quid’.

If Hamid Bador really thinks I have sold myself to Najib for just a few quid why did he not counter-offer a higher price? I am sure the Special Branch can offer me RM20-30 million like they have been offering many other people since 2008 (Hew of DAP got RM25 million).

Anyway, the point is, whoever takes over as Malaysia’s Eighth Prime Minister is not up to the party or the voters but up to the Special Branch. And, if the Special Branch is not happy with what is currently going on, they can even bring Najib back as Prime Minister, if that is what they want. And that is the reality of Malaysian politics.