James Chin dares UMNO to leave Madani gov’t lest all furore over Bossku’s failed home arrest bid is “empty rhetoric”

VOCAL political commentator Prof James Chin has challenged UMNO to leave the Madani government over the party’s discontent that the Kuala Lumpur High Court yesterday (Dec 22) rejected the house arrest option for the party’s former president and disgraced ex-premier Datuk Seri Najib Razak.

Amid the barrage of brickbats targeted at DAP lawmaker Yeo Bee Yin by the ‘Bossku fan club’ over her deemed insensitive “a cause for celebrating the forthcoming New Year” remark, the inaugural director of the Asia Institute at the University of Tasmania is of the view that “all this bravado is just empty rhetoric”.

“Don’t worry; UMNO lacks the courage to exit the government. They’re irrelevant without it; they couldn’t survive outside where there’s no easy access to funds and business opportunities,” jibed Chin on his Facebook page.

“If UMNO truly had the guts, it would have organised massive street protests in support of Najib years ago. UMNO is a fading brand and dying party, so it resorts to grandstanding. .”

On the same note, the Sarawakian-born academician defended Puchong MP Yeo in that her perspective that the 10-term Pekan MP shall remain behind bars at the Kajang Prison “reflects the majority opinion (as) most Malaysians view Najib as guilty and believe he deserves to be imprisoned”.

Added the senior associate at the Tun Tan Cheng Lock Centre for Social and Policy Studies of Universiti Tunku Abdul Rahman (UTAR):

This isn’t a racial matter but a criminal one. The very fact that UMNO is attempting to frame it as racial reveals their inability to defend Najib’s culpability.

So, UMNO, if you’ve the nerve, go ahead and leave the government now. But you’ll not. In fact, there is nothing that will make you leave government unless you join another coalition to set up a new government.

Most of what we see wrong in Malaysia today, especially state racism, is due to UMNO and Mahathir (twice former premier Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad).

‘Count your lucky stars’

Three-term DAP lawmaker and the man instrumental in unearthing the IMDB scandal, Tony Pua, contended that Najib “should be thankful he already received a massive ‘discount’ on his penalty and jail sentence from the previous King/Pardon’s Board”.

“There is absolutely no need to sympathise with such a crook. The Court decided that there’s no basis for house arrest for the biggest crook in Malaysia,” he penned on his FB page.

Added Pua who now serves as DAP’s policy advisor to the secretary-general and the party’s disciplinary committee chairman:

DAP is proud, I’m proud of the fact that we played a big part in the kleptocrat’s downfall and stay in prison.

(To) those chastising us to have ‘humanity’, who continues to love the crook – no one’s stopping you.

But don’t stop the rest of us Malaysians from celebrating justice upheld. Looking forward to his next conviction later this week!

Former senior Federal lawyer Liyana Marzuki echoed the views expressed by many legal eagles who attributed Najib’s failed house arrest bid to the erroneous strategy of his defence counsel Tan Sri Muhammad Shafee Abdullah “who rushed to seek full pardon” prior to the halving of his 72-year-old client’s jail sentence.

“That was what granted to Datuk Seri Harun Idris (former Selangor menteri besar) & DSAI (current Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim). But they have no patience at waiting.”

The former deputy public prosecutor (DPP) at the Domestic Trade, Cooperatives and Consumerism Ministry further shot down Shafee’s claim that Najib’s failed house arrest bid has robbed “the fullest prerogative of mercy” from the Yang di-Pertuan Agong (YDPA) and the Malay Rulers:

“This country’s system is that of constitutional monarchy as opposed to absolute monarchy,” she justified.

This means that the YDPA’s power is limited to the provisions of the Federal Constitution and the rule of law.

This is what YDPA Abdullah (Sultan Abdullah Sultan Ahmad Shah) tried to convey last February. For those who want to understand the issue, His Majesty asked us to respect the law.

Today, the High Court has ruled that there is no house arrest because the addendum made is unconstitutional.

But the UMNO Youth chief is furious and is almost borderline insulting the Court. This is despite the YDPA’s reminder a while back. 

 - Focus Malaysia