KUALA LUMPUR, Jan 22 – DAP today says Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak has yet to prove he is Prime Minister for all Malaysians, regardless of race, religion or region. As the Prime Minister, DAP supremo Lim Kit Siang said Najib should do his best to protect the interests and well-being of all Malaysians.
“No one doubts the eloquence of Najib in promoting the cause of moderation in international circles, with his initiative of the Global Movement of Moderates promoted thrice in the United Nations General Assembly.
“But unfortunately, Najib has yet to ‘walk the talk’ of his periodic preaching of moderation in international forums in the local scene. “If Najib could put in practice 10% of his espousal and advocacy of the cause of moderation in the country as Prime Minister of Malaysia, he would have been more successful in gaining the trust and confidence of Malaysians,” he said.
Lim, who is also the Gelang Patah Member of Parliament and DAP adviser, said Najib’s failure to be the chief exponent of the politics of inclusion and moderation could be seen by his refusal to convene a special Parliament meeting for the revised 2015 Budget or even to invite Pakatan Rakyat leaders and MPs for discussions before the finalisation of the revised 2015 Budget.
“In fact, not only Barisan Nasional leaders, but even Cabinet Ministers were excluded in the process of formulation and finalisation of the revised 2015 Budget, as the Cabinet meeting yesterday was presented with the revised 2015 Budget announced a day earlier,” he said.
Pakatan Rakyat leaders, he said had repeatedly stressed that they were prepared to cooperate with the Prime Minister and Putrajaya to advance the cause of national reconciliation but the Prime Minister had yet to act on this offer to promote the cause of inclusion and moderation.
“In his State of the Union Address yesterday, US President Barack Obama said: If you share in the broad vision I outlined tonight, join me in the work at hand. If you disagree with parts of it, I hope you’ll at least work with parts of it. I hope you’ll at least work with me where you do agree. And I commit to every Republican here tonight that I will not only seek out your ideas, I will seek to work with you to make this country stronger.”
Lim said there was now great controversy whether Obama could “walk the talk” of the commitment he made in his State of Union address. “But in Malaysia, Najib has yet to make a commitment to be prepared to work with all Malaysians, regardless of political differences — and the Prime Minister is still keeping the 25 Eminent Malays who penned the Open Letter to the Prime Minister last month cooling their heels waiting for a meeting with the Prime Minister,” he added.
