If push comes to shove, what should DAP’s stance be like if Najib wins royal pardon?
GRANTED that the royal pardon issue for incarcerated ex-premier Datuk Seri Najib Razak is a truly internal matter of UMNO – at least for now – one wonders what DAP’s stance will be like if matters get complicated and eventually spill over to threaten solidarity within the Pakatan Harapan-Barisan Nasional (PH-BN) coalition in the unity government.
This is not to suggest a doom prophecy but it will be interesting to see how national DAP leaders are able to pacify/cajole their state level leadership and eventually the party’s grassroots and its loyal supporters/sympathisers to accept a major criminal back in the society barely one year behind bars.
Such task can indeed be overwhelming especially after the party has made gargantuan sacrifices by virtue of accepting a mere four Cabinet positions despite yielding the most number of seats among political entities in the unity government.
Recall that DAP emerged with 40 MPs, ahead of PKR with 31, Amanah (eight), Barisan Nasional’s 30 (including 26 from UMNO), Gabungan Parti Sarawak (23) and Gabungan Rakyat Sabah (six).
As it is, DAP secretary-general Anthony Loke Siew Fook is seemingly brushing aside any ‘complication’, pointing to the fact that the proposed royal pardon for Najib was not discussed by the Cabinet as it is not the government’s stand.
The Transport Minister further contended that UMNO had decided to seek a pardon for its former president and that the issue was a party matter.
Anthony Loke Siew Fook
Elaborating further, Loke also described as “normal” the process of seeking a pardon after a person had been convicted. “For us, we place full confidence on due process and the wisdom of the King,” he added.
To political observers, the Seremban MP is seemingly taking the middle ground or non-committal stance amid a brewing calm before the storm scenario so to speak.
Why is this so? Loke has to remember that DAP is sitting in a coalition government together with UMNO, hence a major decision which impacts a coalition member – in this case UMNO – will also be felt coalition-wide (the same applies to Sabah and Sarawak which are likely to feel tremors should a devastating earthquake were to hit Kalimantan).
To paraphrase, wouldn’t it be awkward to assume that UMNO and DAP may sit on the same table yet the decision on the application to seek royal pardon for Najib is made separately without no prior consent or consultation with other entities within the unity government?
In fact, if UMNO is determined to seek royal pardon for Najib, political entities within the unity government must collectively treat the matter either as shared responsibility or openly voice their discontent over the matter.
Surely, there is no two-way about it. The same principle applies in the motion by UMNO president and Deputy PM Datuk Seri Ahmad Zahid Hamidi who has applied for his 47 charges of corruption, abuse of power and disposal of illegal money to be dropped by the Attorney-General (AG).
Has this, too, been done behind the Cabinet’s back? DAP who is supposedly the ‘big brother’ in terms of GE15 parliamentary seat count but ‘little brother’ in terms of political influence within the unity government, owes an explanation to its grassroots supporters/loyalists what stance should the party take in dealing with the’ freedom’ for Najib and Zahid.
At least, Pasir Gudang’s PKR MP Hassan Abdul Karim has sounded the alarm bell that “this is dangerous and quite troubling and alarming to anyone who loves justice, transparency and truth”. – April 11, 2023
Elaborating further, Loke also described as “normal” the process of seeking a pardon after a person had been convicted. “For us, we place full confidence on due process and the wisdom of the King,” he added.
To political observers, the Seremban MP is seemingly taking the middle ground or non-committal stance amid a brewing calm before the storm scenario so to speak.
Why is this so? Loke has to remember that DAP is sitting in a coalition government together with UMNO, hence a major decision which impacts a coalition member – in this case UMNO – will also be felt coalition-wide (the same applies to Sabah and Sarawak which are likely to feel tremors should a devastating earthquake were to hit Kalimantan).
To paraphrase, wouldn’t it be awkward to assume that UMNO and DAP may sit on the same table yet the decision on the application to seek royal pardon for Najib is made separately without no prior consent or consultation with other entities within the unity government?
In fact, if UMNO is determined to seek royal pardon for Najib, political entities within the unity government must collectively treat the matter either as shared responsibility or openly voice their discontent over the matter.
Surely, there is no two-way about it. The same principle applies in the motion by UMNO president and Deputy PM Datuk Seri Ahmad Zahid Hamidi who has applied for his 47 charges of corruption, abuse of power and disposal of illegal money to be dropped by the Attorney-General (AG).
Has this, too, been done behind the Cabinet’s back? DAP who is supposedly the ‘big brother’ in terms of GE15 parliamentary seat count but ‘little brother’ in terms of political influence within the unity government, owes an explanation to its grassroots supporters/loyalists what stance should the party take in dealing with the’ freedom’ for Najib and Zahid.
At least, Pasir Gudang’s PKR MP Hassan Abdul Karim has sounded the alarm bell that “this is dangerous and quite troubling and alarming to anyone who loves justice, transparency and truth”. – April 11, 2023
DAP should be prepared to be slaughtered at the upcoming State Polls if it acts Dunno or passive in the case of a Najib pardon.
ReplyDeleteRamkarpal better not turn up in my constituency, I will give him a piece of my mind if Najib gets a pardon under this Government.
DAP will have no choice but to leave kUnity govt. It will become untenable and if they stayed in govt, they will become.the next GERAKAN. State elections - ,Anwar will lose the state elections. Beware Zafrul- don't touch him with a 10 ft pole- too slimy wants Selangor MBs post. BTW UMNO nail kepala and Anwar has allowed them to shit on his head. Azalina needs to resign or be sacked for her betrayal and Contemp of court by undermining the Federal Court decisions.
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