Media Statement by Lim Kit Siang in Petaling Jaya on Saturday, 10^th April 2010: 

If Najib launches Malaysia-US (Congressional) Caucus without PR MP representation, he is telling the whole world that is 1Malaysia concept is utter bunkum

It has been suggested on the twitter that it’s a bit too late to cancel the launching of the Malaysia-United States (Congressional) Caucus by the Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak next Wednesday April 14, 2010 and that perhaps Pakatan Rakyat can send some of its Members of Parliament for the event.

My twitter responses yesterday were:

• Not suggesting Najib put off trip 2US he can meet Obama but put off caucus launch programme which can only embarrass him n nation

• No not too late Sure American countrprts will appreciate not bng dragged into maelstrom Msian partisan politics JJ shld take note

• Question of saving nation/PM's face or Nazri/JJ's face Indeed a test of whether putting national interests above that of indvdls

• As gatecrashers?Better things 2do Question whr BN can see what is national interest @alphaque .. perhaps PR can send some of your own there.

If the Prime Minister launches the Malaysia-United States (Congressional) Caucus without Pakatan Rakyat Members of Parliament representation, he is telling the whole world that his 1Malaysia concept is utter bunkum.

I hope Najib would not embarrass himself and the nation in Washington by adopting lock-stock-and-barrel the perverted illogic of the Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department Datuk Seri Nazri Aziz to “justify the unjustifiable” when trying to defend the exclusion of PR MPs in the Malaysia-US (Congressional) Caucus and the dispatch of two “independent” MPs to accompany the Prime Minister for the launch of the caucus or the Prime Minister and Malaysia would become the instant laughing stock in Washington cocktail circuit.

This is in fact an international test whether Najib is his own man as Prime Minister who dare to overrule his subordinates by putting national interests above party and individual interests, or whether he could be dragged by the nose by his coterie of advisers and spinmeisters which has spawned the “Umno Apco, Apco Umno” farce.

Pakatan Rakyat MPs would have fully co-operated with Najib to make the Malaysia-US (Congressional) Caucus a bipartisan success in helping to upgrade Malaysia-US relations.

Why did the Prime Minister spurn the PR MPs and place himself in the untenable position of discrediting his 1Malaysia concept and exposing himself to the serious charge that he is not acting as a Prime Minister for all Malaysians when he goes abroad?

It is now in the hands of Najib whether he is prepared to save himself and the country from an embarrassing international incident in his current trip to the United States by deferring the launching of the Malaysia-US (Congressional) Caucus to a later date when PR MPs could fully participate in it.

*Lim Kit Siang, DAP Parliamentary Leader & MP for Ipoh Timor