VETERAN journalist and blogger Datuk A. Kadir Jasin wants the unity government to heed the warning of retired DAP supremo Lim Kit Siang regarding the possibility of the Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim’s administration collapsing if incarcerated ex-premier Datuk Seri Najib Razak is granted a royal pardon.
This is because not only is the level of rejection towards the former Pekan MP high but he is also the main cause of UMNO/Barisan Nasional’s (BN) defeat in the 2018 and 2022 national polls.
“The common people’s hatred of corruption is increasing with the increase in arrests by the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC), especially those involving politicians and their cronies,” the former Bersatu supreme council member penned in a recent Facebook post.
“The latest involves two senior officials of Human Resources Minister V. Sivakumar who is from DAP. Kit Siang’s warning should be taken seriously by all parties who want the government led by the PM Anwar to last.”
As the largest component of the Pakatan Harapan (PH)-BN coalition with 40 seats compared to PKR’s 31 seats and UMNO’s (26), Kadir praised DAP for creating least fuss to the unity government despite having received a small Cabinet allocation.
“Up to a certain level, DAP has to consider its own interests. It faces the possibility of being rejected by voters if the government in which it is part of is involved in supporting or facilitating the royal pardon of Najib,” justified Kadir who himself was a former UMNO member for 32 years prior to quitting the party in 2015.
“So, Kit Siang’s warning to the PM is not only to save the unity government but to maintain its support for DAP itself. Moreover, DAP today is getting more and more support from Malays who are disappointed with Malay-Muslim parties.”
In a related development, Kadir also concurred with the prediction of former health minister Khairy Jamaluddin who claimed that the support of the common people for Anwar will be affected if he fails to defend the judiciary.
“Khairy made such observation following the actions of UMNO and Najib’s supporters whom he claimed have continued to pile pressure on the government in judiciary-related matters, including the issue of royal pardon,” noted Kadir.
“In conclusion, Anwar must prove by action that he is not UMNO’s servant and that he does not influence the Attorney-General (AG) in court cases involving UMNO top leaders.” – April 17, 2023
