An Interview with Datuk Seri

If Pakatan Harapan wins the next election we are going to abolish all taxes and give the rakyat everything free. The rakyat will not need to pay one sen. We will make sure that the price of petrol will be cheaper than the price of water and the government will subsidise 90% of the cost of petrol. We will also spend RM10 billion a year to pay for the cost for toll-free highways all over Malaysia. Every year we will give back RM50 billion in subsidies to the rakyat. We will decide later where to find the money but most likely we will print more money to pay for it since our income will be only 20% of our expenditure.

NO HOLDS BARRED

Raja Petra Kamarudin

Datuk Seri, DAP calls PAS a traitor for abandoning Pakatan Rakyat whereas PAS did not leave Pakatan Rakyat but instead Pakatan Rakyat was closed down so that PAS can be kicked out. Can you explain this?

Yes, it is true that Pakatan Rakyat was closed down and it was closed down so that PAS can be kicked out. But that does not mean PAS is free to work with Umno. PAS must still remain loyal to Pakatan Harapan although Pakatan Harapan does not want PAS and Pakatan Rakyat was closed down so that PAS can be kicked out.

DAP closed down Pakatan Rakyat because the PAS President, Abdul Hadi Awang, tabled a Private Member’s Sharia Amendment Bill, also known as RUU355, in Parliament and this made DAP angry. What is PKR’s stand on the RUU355?

As a Muslim I cannot oppose Sharia laws or the Sharia Amendment Bill. After all the Qur’an clearly stipulates the punishment for certain crimes, such as in charter 24 of the Quran or Surah An Nur. But as a political party we need to look at this from the political angle and not upset our partners in Pakatan Harapan, such as DAP. We have agreed to make decisions based on consensus and in the spirit of agree to disagree.

But then if you uphold the spirit of agree to disagree why kick PAS out of Pakatan? Why not just disagree with PAS and move on?

DAP holds the largest number of seats in Pakatan Harapan so we cannot do anything that DAP does not agree…and DAP does not agree with the RUU355.

But when PKR launched the ‘Kajang Move’ it was also done without first informing DAP and PAS, and without getting their agreements beforehand. So why must PAS first inform DAP and PKR before tabling the RUU355?

The Kajang Move is different. We cannot compare the unilateral decision by PKR to launch the Kajang Move and the unilateral decision by PAS to table the Private Member’s Sharia Amendment Bill. That is not comparing apples to apples.

In what way is the unilateral decision by PKR to launch the Kajang Move and the unilateral decision by PAS to table the Private Member’s Sharia Amendment Bill different and would not be comparing apples to apples?

The Kajang Move is necessary to save the Pakatan Rakyat state government of Selangor while the Private Member’s Sharia Amendment Bill cannot save the Pakatan Rakyat state government of Selangor.

Save the Pakatan Rakyat state government of Selangor in what way and how can the Kajang Move save the Pakatan Rakyat state government of Selangor in the way that the Private Member’s Sharia Amendment Bill cannot?

Well, Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad is trying to oust Prime Minister Najib Tun Razak and if that happens then the Selangor State Government also faces the risk of falling. So the Kajang Move can prevent Selangor from falling if Najib is ousted.

In what way? How is that going to happen?

That is not clear yet so we were forced to launch the Kajang Move just in case.

So you are not really clear how the Selangor state government is going to fall in the event Mahathir succeeds in ousting Najib.

Yes.

But you launched the Kajang Move anyway.

Yes…just in case.

So the Kajang Move was a mistake.

It is easy for people like you to talk on hindsight. On hindsight everyone is an expert. How were we supposed to know that Najib will not fall and that the Kajang Move was a mistake?

You call yourself a political prisoner and a prisoner of conscience but were you not convicted and jailed for sodomy?

Yes, but it was political.

In what way was your jailing political when you were convicted for sodomy?

The accusation of sodomy is false and they fabricated the evidence against me.

Which evidence?

My sperm in Saiful’s backside.

How did your sperm get into Saiful’s backside then?

It was planted.

How did they plant your sperm in Saiful’s backside? Would they not first need your sperm to plant it in Saiful’s backside?

I don’t know how they got it. The police must have done something to get my sperm. Ask the police. How would I know?

In that case why did you refuse to testify in your trial? Would it not have been better if you had testified and told the court all this?

No.

Why?

They will use my testimony against me somehow.

How are they going to use your testimony against you if you tell the truth?

I don’t know. I only know they will use it against me.

Like last time?

Yes, like last time.

But last time you also did not testify at your trial.

That is beside the point.

In what way is it beside the point?

Last time Mahathir was the Prime Minister and this time it is Najib who is Prime Minister.

What has that got to do with you testifying at your own trial?

Aiyah, you are not a lawyer. What do you know about such matters?

Thank you, Datuk Seri. Do you have anything more to add?

Yes, we must save Malaysia by kicking out Barisan Nasional. If Pakatan Harapan wins the next election we are going to abolish all taxes and give the rakyat everything free. The rakyat will not need to pay one sen. We will make sure that the price of petrol will be cheaper than the price of water and the government will subsidise 90% of the cost of petrol. We will also spend RM10 billion a year to pay for the cost for toll-free highways all over Malaysia. Every year we will give back RM50 billion in subsidies to the rakyat. We will decide later where to find the money but most likely we will print more money to pay for it since our income will be only 20% of our expenditure.