ZAHID HELPING TO COVER UP NAJIB'S RM2.6 BIL? Not a crime to topple PM via Parliament - DAP

KUALA LUMPUR - DAP’s Lim Kit Siang ticked off today Home Minister Datuk Seri Ahmad Zahid Hamidi for attempting to paint a purported attempt to remove Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak from office through a majority no-confidence vote in Parliament as a “heinous crime”.

The opposition lawmaker reminded the government’s second in command that his allegation of a plot to rid Najib through statutory declarations (SDs) signed by MPs across the political divide did not breach the law but was an acceptable and integral part of the democratic process.

“Be that as it may, ‘toppling’ Najib as Prime Minister is no crime and cannot fall under the ambit of Section 124B of the Penal Code on ‘activities detrimental to parliamentary democracy’ as this is part and parcel of parliamentary democracy, unless the proposed ‘toppling’ of the Prime Minister and the government is by ‘violent and unconstitutional’ means,” the Gelang Patah MP said in his speech in Bukit Gambir, Johor, in response to Zahid’s remarks at an Umno division meeting earlier.

A copy of Lim’s speech was made available to the media.

The DAP parliamentary leader added that the minister and other leaders in Umno and the Barisan Nasional (BN) government should learn the true precepts and principles of parliamentary democracy, “that there is nothing criminal, illegal or undemocratic if there is a new majority of MPs who feel that there should be a change of Prime Minister and government by peaceful, democratic and constitutional means”.

Lim also asked Zahid if he was referring to Umno deputy president Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin as the party insider who was conspiring with opposition lawmakers to overthrow Najib through the signing of the SDs.

In his speech to Ampang Umno delegates earlier today, Zahid claimed an Umno leader, whom he declined to name, was trying to get lawmakers from both sides of the political divide to sign an SD to show that they had the majority voice to move a no-confidence vote in the Dewan Rakyat.

However, Muhyiddin told Umno delegates in Semporna, Sabah today that he would be “stupid” to want to topple the BN government he helped to build.

Discontent appears to be brewing within Umno in at least three states: Johor, Sabah and Kedah since the removal of Muhyiddin Yassin and vice-president Datuk Seri Shafie Apdal from Cabinet following their vocal criticism of the government’s handling of 1MDB.

Despite their axing from government, the two senior Umno leaders hold much swap among party grassroot leaders in its Johor fortress and Sabah, considered a BN “fixed deposit” for elections. - Malay Mail