Speaking to an audience of about 500 people at a Chinese New Year function in Ipoh last night, Nizar (left) said fresh polls to elect the state government was Najib's chance to prove 1Malaysia's worth.“I call upon Najib to give Perakians a chance to elect a state government. Only then can he ask the Chinese community to give him a chance to prove his 1Malaysia concept.
“Najib is instrumental in orchestrating the downfall of a legitimately elected (Pakatan Rakyat) government and he must undo this wrong by returning the power to the people if his 'People First, Performance Now' slogan is to be believed,” said Nizar in reference to a speech Najib made on Saturday.
Najib had urged his audience to give their full support for the 1Malaysia concept to ensure its success and said BN leaders were willing to cooperate with society.
1Malaysia, two standards
Nizar said Najib's 1Malaysia call rings hollow as long as Umno leaders expound racist values and the government practices divide-and-rule policies and discriminate on the basis of race and religion.To prove his point, Nizar said whenever Umno members make seditious or inflammatory statements, they are at most given merely a slap on the wrist or told to resign without any criminal action being taken against them.
When it comes to the opposition, however, Nizar said the Umno-led government machinery would “twist and turn” statements of opposition leaders followed by speedy prosecution.
“Where is the justice and democratic rights of the people when Umno continues to play its political games to ensure its own political survival?” Nizar asked.
Turning to the judiciary, Nizar cited a recent poll by Malay daily Sinar Harian that found 87 percent of the people it had surveyed were unhappy with the courts over the Perak constitutional crisis.
Democratic rights 'stolen'
He also said the Federal Court decision to deny his appeal to be declared the rightful menteri besar had robbed the people of Perak their democratic right to choose their state government.
“The best remedy is for Najib and (current MB) Zambry Abdul Kadir to dissolve the state assembly and call for fresh state elections,” said Nizar, adding that BN feared snap polls because it fears an inevitable defeat.
The February 9 decision by the apex court ended a year-long tussle over who was the rightful head of government in Perak.
A year earlier, Perak Sultan Azlan Shah had under controversial circumstances replaced Nizar with BN's Zambry after three Pakatan state assemblypersons defected and became BN-friendly independents.
Other top Pakatan politicians present at the function, organised by DAP Canning branch chairman Wong Kah Woh, included DAP advisor Lim Kit Siang, state party chief Ngeh Koo Ham, state party secretary Nga Kor Ming and ousted state assembly speaker V Sivakumar.
news courtesy of Malaysiakini
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