“UMNO leaders are getting very desperate and blatant – they attack the judiciary for the former Prime Minister Najib Razak going to jail instead of condemning corruption and they want early general election even to “wade through floods” to tell the world that 1MDB scandal is not a corruption scandal.”
This was said by Mr Lim Kit Siang, Malaysia’s Member of Parliament for Iskandar Puteri from the Democratic Action Party (DAP) and former Leader of the Opposition in a press statement issued on Saturday (24 September).
In the statement, the opposition veteran accused the President of United Malays National Organisation, Mr Zahid Hamidi of making “twists and turns”, trying to explain his speech at the launch of the Barisan Nasional (BN) machinery in Kuala Lumpur last Saturday on UMNO’s preparedness to “wade through floods” in the upcoming 15th General Election of Malaysia (15GE).
“The change in UMNO character from UMNO’s founding days could been seen from Zahid’s speech last Saturday, for none of the first four UMNO Presidents, Onn Jaafar, Tunku Abdul Rahman, Razak Hussein and Hussein Onn would have made such a speech to utterly disregard the loss to human lives and great loss of property in a monsoon and floods season. Last year alone, 54 lives were lost and RM6.5 billion losses of property were incurred.” said Mr Lim and added, “And the first four UMNO Presidents would be in the forefront to condemn corruption which Zahid had signally failed to do last Saturday.”
He asked, “Would Zahid be believed if he had declared war against corruption in the 15GE?”
Mr Lim noted that neither UMNO nor BN have taken a stand that the 15GE should not be held during the monsoon and floods season and asked if they would take a stand that 15GE should not be held during the monsoon and floods season after Zahid’s disastrous speech at the BN launch last Saturday.
“Even the MCA President, Wee Ka Siong, dare not take such a stand. All that he would say is that MCA must be prepared to face any eventuality that may play out.”
“The reason why MCA is not prepared to take a stand that the 15GE should not be held during the monsoon and floods season is clear – not to step on the toes of “kleptocratic” UMNO!”
“This is a test for UMNO and BN!” remarked Mr Lim in closing.
The Constitution of Malaysia requires that a general election to be held in the fifth calendar year after the first sitting of Parliament. Since the first sitting of the 14th Parliament was held on the 16 July 2018, it will automatically be dissolved in June 2023 for 15GE if not dissolved earlier.
Mr Lim who has been in Malaysia opposition politics since 1966 and had the position of Leader of the Opposition three times, earlier announced his retirement in March this year and that he will not be contesting in DAP’s Central Executive Committee election and the following general and state elections, due to old age.