STRESSING the need to call a spade a spade, former Bangi MP Ong Kian Ming wants DAP to state a firm position on the police investigation against his comrade and podcast buddy Tony Pua Kiam Wee after the latter is being probed under Section 4(1) of the Sedition Act 1948 and Section 233 of the Communications and Multimedia Act 1998.
Late yesterday, Pua who was the former DAP publicity secretary confirmed ‘sarcastically’ that here would be giving his statement to the police at Bukit Aman at 1pm today (Feb 5).
“While some of Tony’s Facebook posts in reaction to Najib’s reduced sentence may not have been done in good taste, the DAP leadership must not forget his relentless pursuit on the details of the 1MDB scandal in and out of parliament when he was a MP (for Petaling Jaya Utara and Damansara),” Ong pointed out in a media statement.
“Without Tony’s contributions, we may not have experienced the change in government in the 2018 general elections. And Najib would not have been charged, tried and convicted over his role in the 1MDB scandal, starting with the SRC International Sdn Bhd charges for which he is currently serving his sentence.”
We remember what @tonypua did to reveal the magnitude of the 1MDB scandal when he was an MP. The people of Malaysia are still paying billions of RM on the debts incurred as a result of this scandal. I hope the leaders of @pakatanharapan_ do not forget. pic.twitter.com/6j2nbY5IfW
— Ong Kian Ming 🇲🇾 (@imokman) February 4, 2024
The former deputy minister of international trade and industry also insisted that the DAP leadership “reiterate its position on the 1MDB (1Malaysia Development Bhd) scandal – the biggest corruption case in Malaysian history – which the party campaigned on in the 2018 and the 2022 general elections”.
“This must include taking a firm position that the on-going 1MDB cases against Najib should continue and not experience the same fate as the 47 “dismissal not amounting to acquittal (DNAA)” charges against Deputy Prime Minister Datuk Seri Ahmad Zahid Hamidi,” asserted Ong who like Pua did not contest in the 2022 national polls.
Ticking off DAP for playing it safe to placate the supporters of “Bossku” within UMNO, Ong stressed the importance of the DAP leadership reminding itself that it cannot only rely on the fear of PAS getting into power to maintain its support among the non-Malay community.
“If this is the strategy moving forward, then DAP would not be very different from MCA in the past which relied on scaring the Chinese voters into supporting the BN (Barisan Nasional) for fear that the Chinese community would not get any representation in government,” he cautioned.
“These public commitments cannot be made by DAP secretary general Anthony Loke (Siew Fook) alone. He must be supported by the DAP central executive committee (CEC) so that the collective responsibility and commitment is seen to be coming from the top leaders of the party.”
Added Ong: “Many DAP supporters have been very patient with many of the political developments which have taken place since the formation of the unity government in November 2022 for the sake of political stability.
“But their patience is running thin. Political expediency for the sake of political stability can only go so far. It is time for the DAP leadership to speak up.”
For the record, the Pardons Board had on Friday (Ferb 2) issued an official statement recommending a reduction of incarcerated former prime Datuk Seri Najib Razak’s current prison sentence from 12 years to six years and the reduction of his fine from RM210 mil to RM50 mil. – Feb 5, 2024
