Anwar and Kit Siang move the goalposts

Anwar has explained why they needed the ‘Kajang Move’ — contradicting what Rafizi, Saifuddin and Tony said — while Kit Siang has done a U-turn regarding the RCI on the US$10 billion FOREX scandal. To the Pakatuns and DAPsters, though, this does not matter as long as the Umno-led Barisan Nasional is kicked out and is replaced with the DAP-led Pakatan Harapan.

THE CORRIDORS OF POWER

Raja Petra Kamarudin

Two days ago, Anwar Ibrahim finally revealed in court the real motive for the Kajang Move. The only problem with Anwar’s revelation is that it contradicts the reason that Saifuddin Nasution, Rafizi Ramli and Tony Pua gave. And this raises the question of who of the four are telling the truth or are all four lying and there is actually a different reason altogether?

Rafizi: the Kajang Move is meant to save Selangor in the event Mahathir successfully ousts Najib

At different points of time over 2013 and 2014 Malaysians were given different reasons why Selangor Menteri Besar Khalid Ibrahim needed to be removed. Anwar says, which you can read below, is so that he could take over as Menteri Besar and bring changes to Selangor.

Anwar, however, has thus far never said what was wrong with Selangor while under Khalid and what changes were required. Anwar insinuates that Selangor was being badly run and that he needed to take over from Khalid to address this. So what was it that Khalid was doing wrong, or was not doing, and which Anwar, once he takes over as Menteri Besar, would change?

Anwar is infamous for talking in riddles or in cryptic language. He never says directly what he means but beats around the bush and goes off tangent. Even when asked a question that requires a simple ‘yes’ or ‘no’ answer he never says ‘yes’ or ‘no’. He goes on and on talking about this, that and the other while never giving that most important ‘yes’ or ‘no’.

Even during an interview with the international media, when asked a simple question as to whether he is gay, Anwar never answered. The question was posed to him three times and each time he went all over the place talking about a political conspiracy and how he posed a danger to the ruling elite and how they feared him and how his call for reforms frightened the government and so on. All that may have been true but that still does not answer the question as to whether he is gay or not, which was the question the interviewer asked.

Khalid refused to use the taxpayers’ money on the party so he needed to be ousted

So, according to Anwar, Khalid had to be removed so that changes could be introduced to Selangor. Anwar now needs to tell us what was wrong with Selangor when Khalid was Menteri Besar. Anwar also needs to tell us what changes to Selangor did he have in mind. Then Anwar needs to enlighten us on whether these changes did happen with Azmin Ali as the Selangor Menteri Besar.

In short, we need a ‘then’ and ‘now’ comparison so that we know what the scenario was under Khalid and what it is now under Azmin. In other words, did the removal of Khalid bring about those reforms in Selangor or is it still the same or has gotten worse? Does Anwar dare tell us or is he, as usual, going to leave that matter vague?

Rafizi and Saifuddin gave different reasons as to why Khalid had to be replaced, as did Tony. Tok Guru Nik Aziz Nik Mat opposed the removal of Khalid, as did Tok Guru Abdul Hadi Awang. And they said they did not support the removal of Khalid because there is no valid reason to do so. In other words, Nik Aziz and Hadi did not buy the many contradicting reasons given for Khalid’s removal. In short, the PAS leaders were saying that the reasons were lame excuses and not true.

Rafizi’s excuse was that Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad was plotting to oust Prime Minister Najib Tun Razak and if that happens then Selangor would fall. How would the ouster of Najib bring about the fall of the Pakatan Rakyat government of Selangor? Is Rafizi saying in the event Najib falls then a large  number of Pakatan Rakyat State Assemblypersons are going to cross over to Barisan Nasional like what happened in Perak in 2009?

Just like Anwar, Rafizi did not explain or give any details. Saifuddin, on the other hand, published a thick dossier of Khalid’s misdeeds, transgression and crimes of corruption that warranted his removal as the Selangor Menteri Besar. Later, of course, Saifuddin apologised and more or less admitted that all the allegations were downright lies and not true one bit. So this more or less confirmed what Nik Aziz and Hadi said: that Khalid was a victim of fitnah or slander.

Saifudidin said Khalid is a crook and later apologised and admitted that he lied

The truth is, Khalid was increasing Selangor’s reserves and that upset Pakatan Rakyat. They felt that money is meant to be spent, not to be saved. So Khalid was not doing his job by saving money instead of spending it.

That may be true. You make money so that you can spend it and not to save it. And that was what Mahathir did when he was Prime Minister for 22 years: he spent money instead of saving it. But in Selangor’s case Khalid refused to spend money indiscriminately. Unless there was a good reason to spend the money he would not do so.

For example, Khalid refused to spend the state’s money for party purposes. Anwar wanted Selangor to give each party in Pakatan Rakyat RM100 million. That would come to RM300 million in total, which was only 10% of the state’s reserves. Khalid, however, refused. And this was the main beef they had against Khalid, especially during the 2013 general election when Khalid stood his ground and refused to give the party money to finance the election.

And that was the main reason Khalid needed to be removed. He would not abuse his power and authority by plundering the state. Pakatan Rakyat was not able to gets its hands on the RM3 billion or so Selangor reserves. We take it now that Khalid is no longer Menteri Besar that has changed and Pakatan Harapan is now well-financed by Selangor.

At the end of the day it is all about money, even for Pakatan Harapan.

Tony Pua: Khalid Ibrahim is an extremely honest and hardworking Menteri Besar

Meanwhile, Lim Kit Siang has done a U-turn and said that he will support the probe on the US$10 billion Bank Negara FOREX scandal only if the RCI looks into the Bumiputera Malaysia Finance (BMF) and 1MDB issues.

That is a gross departure from his earlier stand these last 20 years or so. Before this Kit Siang demanded a RCI on the Bank Negara FOREX scandal. Now that the government has finally agreed to the RCI, Kit Siang moves the goalposts and says that he will not support the RCI unless it includes many other issues as well. It is like the RCI on the issuing of fake ICs and illegal immigrants scandal in Sabah a.k.a. ‘Project M’.

That RCI was on a specific issue: the issuing of fake ICs and illegal immigrants scandal in Sabah or ‘Project M’. Imagine Kit Siang saying he will not support the RCI on the issuing of fake ICs and illegal immigrants scandal in Sabah unless the RCI also includes an investigation into the Batang Kali and Memali massacres.

Kit Siang no longer wants the RCI to investigate the US$10 billion Bank Negara FOREX scandal as that would hurt Mahathir

Why has Kit Siang, after more than 20 years, suddenly done a U-turn and has moved the goalposts? Why does he no longer support a RCI on the US$10 billion Bank Negara FOREX scandal?

Simple! The RCI on the US$10 billion Bank Negara FOREX scandal is going to hurt Mahathir and Kit Siang is trying to cover Mahathir’s arse. Kit Siang does not want Mahathir to get implicated in a crime or else that would hurt Pribumi. And Kit Siang needs Pribumi because with just 55 or so parliament seats DAP cannot form the federal government on their own. DAP needs another 60 or so seats from Pribumi, PKR and PAN before it can march into Putrajaya.

And that is why Kit Siang has done a U-turn and has moved the goalposts. He needs Mahathir alive, not dead, if DAP is going to have any chance of forming the next federal government. And he also needs Mahathir alive because he still hopes that Mahathir would have enough pull to save Guan Eng from going to prison.

Anwar wanted the job of Selangor Menteri Besar but the job went to Azmin instead

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Anwar equates Kajang move with Mukhriz’s removal

(Malaysiakini, 20 Feb 2017) – Jailed former opposition leader Anwar Ibrahim today equated Umno’s removal of Mukhriz Mahathir as Kedah menteri besar with PKR’s Kajang move in 2014.

Cross examined by lawyer Muhammad Shafee Abdullah appearing for Youth and Sports Minister Khairy Jamaluddin at the Kuala Lumpur High Court, Anwar admitted that Kajang move was meant to make him Selangor MB, as it was mooted by party leadership to bring change in the state by replacing then MB Khalid Ibrahim.

He said it was then decided that someone senior would replace Khalid, and the move was then facilitated by replacing then Kajang assemblyperson Lee Chin Cheh, who accepted the change and allowed the replacement.