BARISAN Nasional (BN) chairman and UMNO president Datuk Seri Ahmad Zahid Hamidi cannot dismiss his recent MIC general assembly speech lightly and must explain its real intent and meaning as it was UMNO and BN’s “declaration of war” for the 15th General Election (GE15).
When Zahid spoke about one week ago on Monday (Oct 10), he knew that Parliament was going to be dissolved that day, and so he spelled out what GE15 meant for UMNO and BN.
He reportedly said: “Candidates from MIC, UMNO, MCA and Parti Bersatu Rakyat Sabah (PBRS) have to win in a dominant fashion. It’s now or never. This election is the mother of all general elections. If we fail, our fate will be worse than the last election.
“Right now, only I will be charged, Tok Mat (UMNO deputy president Datuk Seri Mohamad Hasan), you are on the waiting list, Vicky (MIC president Tan Sri S.A. Vigneswaran) don’t laugh, you are also included. What more (MIC deputy president Datuk Seri M.) Saravanan?
“(MCA president Datuk Seri Wee) Ka Siong? They won’t forget you. You will be charged as well. (Caretaker defence minister Datuk Seri) Hisham (Hishammuddin Hussein), don’t smile,” Zahid added.
“To avoid this, we have to win in a dominant manner, my brothers and sisters.”
Zahid also complained that his speech had been “spun” by his opponents.
One of his opponents?
I am not aware that Perlis mufti Datuk Dr Mohd Asri Zainul Abidin was one of Zahid’s “opponents”. Asri recently tweeted:
“Terkesima mendengar, bagaimana secara terang orang politik boleh mengaku tujuan untuk menang PRU adalah bagi mengelakkan kes rasuah mereka dibicarakan di mahkamah.
“Jika itu berlaku, negara ini akan jadi SYURGA RASUAH.”
Translation: (“Stunned after hearing how a politician can openly admit [that his political party/coalition] has to win the general election to avoid corruption charges against them.
(If that happens, this country will become a haven for corruption.”)
Anyway, Zaid said that his MIC general assembly speech is being manipulated and taken in bits and pieces to be used as slander, and the “real context” of his speech was that BN leaders are at risk of political prosecution if the opposition wins GE15.
A week has passed but Zahid has failed to explain how his speech was being “spun”!
How will the fate of UMNO and BN leaders be “worse than the last election” if UMNO and BN fail to form the Government?
What happened is that Zahid is spinning his own speech.
Any reasonably sane viewer of Zahid’s speech can clearly see that his naming of the UMNO and BN leaders was a serious affair, suggesting that Zahid knew of their criminal culpabilities as to be on the “waiting list” to be charged in court.
Zahid must come forward to explain whether Mohamad, Hishammuddin, Wee, Vigneswaran and Saravanan are on the “waiting list” to be charged in court, and if so, what are these charges and whose “waiting lists” – the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC), the Royal Malaysian Police Force (PDRM) or the Attorney-General’s Chambers (AGC)?
Or was Zahid telling a pack of lies in the UMNO and BN’s “declaration of war” for GE15 and that he was not to be taken seriously, whatever he says? – Oct 16, 2022
DAP supremo and veteran lawmaker Lim Kit Siang is the outgoing MP for Iskandar Puteri.
The views expressed are solely of the author and do not necessarily reflect those of Focus Malaysia.
