Ambiga wants Najib to go on leave, calls for snap polls

Datuk Ambiga Sreenevasan speaks during a book launch and forum in Petaling Jaya today. Later, she spoke to various leaders at the Parliament compound, telling them to push for snap polls. – The Malaysian Insider pic by Najjua Zulkefli, July 7, 2015.

Human rights activist Datuk Ambiga ‎Sreenevasan has called for snap polls following allegations linking Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak to the financial scandals involving 1Malaysia Development Berhad (1MDB).

In a special meeting with parliamentarians, non-governmental groups and politicians, Ambiga said Najib should go on a leave of absence pending investigation into the accusations against him.

"The prime minister ‎has to go on leave. Opposition leaders should go and see him and ask him to do so.

"There are ongoing investigations and you will never get an impartial probe if he is still the prime minister.

"There must be a promise of fresh elections to be called within one year," she told the gathering which was held at the Parliament compound.

‎Ambiga, the former Bersih 2.0 co-chair, said those given the responsibilities to carry out investigations on 1MDB's dealings linked to Najib should be allowed to do so without fear or favour.

"He also must have a chance to clear his name. A‎ll those carrying out investigations must be left alone to do their jobs. T‎hey must be allowed to carry on without fear‎.

‎This was echoed by opposition leader and PKR president Datuk Seri Dr Wan Azizah Wan Ismail, who urged Najib, who is also finance minister, to do the "gentlemanly"‎ thing and go on leave.

"‎Once this goes on, we cannot have the executive be in there because the attorney-general is also appointed by Najib.

"So we are asking him to take the gentlemanly way. ‎Go on leave and allow an independent commission as it involves breach of trust and corruption‎," she told reporters after the gathering.

Gombak MP and Selangor Menteri Besar Mohamed Azmin Ali and Permatang Pauh MP Datuk Seri Dr Wan Azizah Wan Ismail seen at the Parliament compound today. – The Malaysian Insider pic by Kamal Ariffin, July 7, 2015.

‎DAP secretary-general Lim Guan Eng said he supported the call for a snap election, adding that although the opposition might not necessarily win, it was important to have a "clean government".

Referring to the recent expose by The Wall Street Journal (WSJ) and Sarawak Report, Lim said an election had to be held as the money was allegedly used by the ruling party in the last polls.‎

"‎This money has something to do with the last election. So I support the call for another election.

"Although we may not win it, at least we can have a clean government," he said during his speech.

‎In their reports, the WSJ and the Sarawak Report quoted from documents from the 1MDB probe by the Malaysian government.

The documents allegedly showed US$700 million (RM2.6 billion) was moved among government agencies, banks and entities linked to 1MDB, which finally ended in the prime minister's personal accounts at the AmPrivate Bank in Kuala Lumpur, in five separate deposits.

- TMI