PKR Deputy President and Selangor Menteri Besar Datuk Seri Azmin Ali, PKR Vice-President Nurul Izzah and PKR National Elections Director Saifudin Nasution met me at my office yesterday, in the presence of DAP Penang State Chairman Chow Kon Yeow, to discuss the matter of conducting state general election in Penang.
The DAP Central Executive Committee (CEC) at our meeting on 18.7.2016 had unanimously decided that since the imprisonment of Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim, severe abuses of power by BN have severely eroded democracy in the country, private and confidential discussions will be held with our allies in Pakatan Harapan on whether to hold or not state general election in Penang.
A state general election would return the mandate to the people to pass a verdict on the gross abuse of powers by BN that has trampled on our rights, bred world-record levels of corruption which has completely wrecked our economy and increased hardship on ordinary Malaysians. The Penang state general election is not about saving me from the trumped-up corruption charges by BN against me.
DAP and the Pakatan Harapan leadership believes in my innocence and that these trumped up corruption charges is a devious political conspiracy to character assassinate and finish off my political career. They have decided to back me to continue as Chief Minister and not step down or take leave because I have no influence over the investigation process by Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission, no power to appoint nor sack the Attorney-General prosecuting me and am completely independent from the judiciary.
However, BN has continued to question the credibility, authority and legitimacy of a Pakatan Harapan state government led by me. Should Pakatan win the Penang state general election, these trumped up corruption charges will continue and BN will persist to character assassinate me. They have decided to send me to jail anyway. But if Pakatan Harapan wins the state general election, the Penang state government can still continue as a people’s government even if I go to jail. In other words, this state general election is for the people to decide whether they want DAP and a Pakatan Harapan state government in Penang with full credibility, authority and legitimacy regardless of what happens to me.
Why is it not wrong for refusing to face the voters for a new mandate when the whole world is investigating and taking action against you for corruption?
In search of this new mandate, we had met with PKR leaders on 18.7.2016 in Kuala Lumpur and also Amanah President Mohd Sabu the night of 19.7.2016 at the Subang Airport. DAP did not want to follow the previous practice by some in making unilateral decisions, believing in fully consulting with our allies in Pakatan Harapan. Even though DAP can take similar reciprocal actions by making unilateral decisions, DAP believes in building mutual trust. We believe that any final decision would at least have to be deliberated by the Pakatan Harapan Presidential Council.
Unfortunately, these private and confidential discussions to PKR leaders have been leaked to the BN-controlled media by a so-called Pakatan Harapan source to sabotage these discussions. I have conveyed to the three PKR top leaders present yesterday, the party’s disgust at the leaks by this internal source, intended by this Pakatan leader to put DAP in bad light.
DAP’s collective and consultative spirit of listening to our allies and views, displays not only our open heart but also our commitment towards democracy. We are not afraid to allow the people to decide on the authority, credibility and legitimacy of a Pakatan Harapan Penang state government led by me. Why is returning back for a new mandate of the people wrong? Why is it not wrong for BN refusing to face the voters for a new mandate when the whole world is investigating and taking action against you for corruption on a global scale?
DAP also regrets that despite the openness displayed by DAP in listening to different views, many unfounded allegations have been made against us that parrots BN’s perverse logic against conducting a state general election. Despite the attempted sabotage by this internal Pakatan source, discussions will continue in the Pakatan consultative spirit. We hope that this explanation will stop the media frenzy and prove that DAP and Pakatan Harapan is not afraid to risk our government posts, by returning the mandate to the people to make the final choice, in accordance with healthy democratic practices.