Kit Siang wants Anwar released for ‘Save Malaysia’ summit

(Malay Mail Online) – DAP’s Lim Kit Siang today called for Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim’s release from prison to partake in his proposed national “Save Malaysia” summit to prevent Malaysia from becoming a failed state in light of the current economic and political crisis.

The Gelang Patah MP said the summit, which will feature “elderly” leaders from from Barisan Nasional (BN), the opposition and civil society, will be a key platform to find solutions to the problems plaguing Malaysia.

“Economic woes are not Malaysia’s only problems.

“Malaysia is also suffering from the worst crisis of confidence and the government with a minority prime minister has never been so fractured today as at any period in the nation’s 58-year history,” Lim said in a statement.

“I call on the government to release Anwar Ibrahim from Sungai Buloh prison to fully participate in a national ‘Save Malaysia’ Summit to prevent Malaysia from becoming a rogue and failed state,” he added.

Other leaders the DAP veteran named as necessary for the summit to be successful are former prime ministers like Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad and Tun Abdullah Ahmad Badawi, former deputy prime ministers like Tun Musa Hitam and Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin, as well political and NGO veterans like Tan Sri Tengku Razaleigh Hamzah, Tan Sri Rafidah Aziz, Tan Sri Simon Sipaun, Datuk Seri Daniel Tajem, Datuk Ambiga Sreenivasan, Tan Sri Ramon Navaratnam and Rev Paul Tan.

Lim noted that confidence in Malaysia is at its lowest point as evident in the free-falling ringgit and growing public discontent towards the Najib administration over a slew of scandals, including the corruption allegations against state investment arm 1MDB.

Prime Minister Datuk Seri Mohd Najib Razak, which Lim described as a minority prime minister, has been accused numerous times of alleged links to the 1MDB controversy.

As such, the Gelang Patah MP called on Malaysians to be united and put an end the quagmire.

“Time has come to end the political and economic crisis confronting Malaysia – for all Malaysians, regardless of race, religion, region or  party affiliation to stand on the common platform as Malaysians to save Malaysia from hurtling towards a rogue and a failed state.

“We must stop Malaysia from becoming a rogue state and  protect and uphold our Constitutional guarantees of  democracy, rule of law, human rights of free speech and assembly”.