Right to the very end, the convicted felon Najib Abdul Razak was still in denial. He maintained that he is still the MP for Pekan.
Whilst it was clear to everyone that he lost the privilege to be an MP the moment he was found guilty, the stubborn convict had to waste the rakyat's money and the court's time to demand that he be allowed to attend Parliament.
An attention seeker, and a desperate one at that, Najib will try every trick in the book to remain relevant. Hence, the never-ending court appearances, judicial reviews and appeals.
Article 48 of the Federal Constitution states that a person can be disqualified as an MP if he or she is convicted for an offence, then sentenced to more than one year in jail and fined more than RM2,000.
Najib was given a fair hearing and he exhausted all his appeals. So why are we humouring him with his incessant requests to get out of Kajang? He will try it on, be it for a few hours, whilst he goes to court. Or a few days, whilst he relaxes in the relative comfort of a hospital bed, instead of a cold, damp concrete floor.
He's acting like a petulant spoilt brat, throwing temper tantrums, because his requests are not fully granted. At the same time, the authorities behave like bad parents, agreeing to his many demands because they are afraid to say "no".
Aided by his lawyers, a deluded family and an army of blind supporters, Najib's sense of entitlement is as strong as ever. He demanded that he be allowed to attend the Dewan Rakyat sitting, originally scheduled from Oct 3 to Nov 29.
It is doubtful that Najib will accept the verdict of the High Court in Kuala Lumpur that dismissed his leave application.
The judge, Ahmad Kamal Md Shahid, said that with the dissolution of Parliament, the Parliament’s term had ended and Najib was no longer an MP. Like his fellow MPs, everyone ceased to be a parliamentarian when Parliament was dissolved.
How much did the session in court for the judge to say "No" to Najib cost the taxpayer?
Najib's family members and blind supporters need a crash course in what happens in other professions.
A lawyer who is charged with corruption, and then found guilty and sentenced, is struck off and disbarred from practising.
A corrupt doctor who is tried and sentenced is also struck off the medical register, and prohibited from treating people.
A banker who is charged and sentenced for corruption is charged with CBT, and then sacked.
All of the above professionals will be fined and jailed. Despite this, the Speaker of the Dewan Rakyat, Azhar Harun, who is a trained lawyer is now spinning another line. Najib, he claims, is still an MP.
Therefore, we'd like to know: Did Najib receive the wages of an MP, from Aug 23, when he was sent to the Kajang Prison, till the dissolution of Parliament?
An MP receives perks, many types of allowances, benefits and a pension.
Was Najib receiving these financial benefits whilst sitting in prison?
An MP would earn RM16,000 a month. If he had been made a minister, he would get an additional RM13,400. In addition to his monthly salary, he would receive other allowances for just getting out of bed to come to work.
For turning up in Parliament, he will receive RM400. For attending government “meetings or workshops”, he receives RM300. Never mind that having meetings is part of his job.
Unlike you and I, MPs do not have to spend their own money. It is the taxpayer who pays for their many goods and services.
The special perks MPs get…
One of their extra special perks is RM2,500 in “entertainment allowances”. They can purchase the latest iPhone or Macbook with the RM2,000 handphone allowance or RM6,000 computer allowance. You and I will have to slog hard and think about how long the computer should last us or our children.
MPs need not worry about their clothes as they will receive a dress subsidy of up to RM1,000. They need not worry about going places, as they have a travel allowance of RM 1,500 per month, whether or not they go anywhere. They are not bothered about toll rises, because they have a toll allowance of RM300 a month.
Naturally, there are other allowances, such as an allowance for having a driver or domestic help.
So, which of these allowances is Najib receiving whilst he is in Kajang? Is he entitled to a clothing allowance, even though he can have an orange jumpsuit for free?
For every budget, the finance minister will announce generous pay rises for ministers, MPs and civil servants. What about the rest of us? People who work in the private sector, or those who are self-employed, are often left behind.
Has this government any integrity? Who can tell us whether Najib received an MP's wage and the various perks? The caretaker prime minister? He's too busy trying to stay in power in GE15. He won't tell us.
Will it be the Umno-Baru president Ahmad Zahid Hamidi? No. He is too busy trying to steal an election so that he can escape jail. He can't tell us.
The more you examine his character and his demands, the more you realise that Najib will not give up for the good of Malaysia. Therefore we say, "Let him stew in prison." - Mkini
MARIAM MOKHTAR is a defender of the truth, the admiral-general of the Green Bean Army, and president of the Perak Liberation Organisation (PLO). Blog, Twitter.
The views expressed here are those of the author/contributor and do not necessarily represent the views of MMKtT.
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