Former president of the Malaysian Bar Council and head of Malaysia’s National Human Rights Society (Hakam) Ambiga Sreenevasan has responded strongly against today’s reshuffle of PM Najib Razak’s Cabinet, saying federal lawmakers need to push for the formation of an interim government or face the possibility of a street protest.
The civil rights activist, once the head of electoral reform movement Bersih 2.0, said the rakyat had had enough of the Najib administration’s handling of Malaysia’s finances and the controversies surrounding sovereign development fund 1Malaysia Development Berhad (1MDB), and would react to the latest round of political upheavals by taking to the streets.
“Because you see, when you don’t give people options, you don’t give a way out, you don’t provide solutions, people are struggling, of course it will happen,” she said when asked by The Malay Mail Online‘s Mayuri Mei Lin if recent developments in Putrajaya would lead to street protests.
“Bersih is organising (a rally), so Hakam will be part of it,” she added.
Ambiga proposed a “national government” as a caretaker administration, comprised of non-partisan Cabinet, and urged members of Parliament to call for an emergency parliamentary session to select new ministers who would be capable of leading the country for the next 18 months.
“The idea of the national government for all parties is that it will be a government consisting of MPs from both BN and opposition. (The) idea is that in times of crisis, and this has happened in many countries like recently in Sri Lanka, everyone puts aside their political differences and does what is best for the country,” she said.
“The national government shall hold free and fair elections within 18 months of the formation of the national government and shall immediately appoint independent election commissioners who enjoy public confidence and who shall proceed to clean up the electoral process for the general elections.”
Ambiga stressed that only elected members of Parliament could bring about positive change to Malaysia’s political landscape at the moment, and that they must take a stand now.
“We cannot look to anyone else except for the lawmakers we’ve elected and put there. Only numbers in Parliament is going to make a difference. That’s why I say to the members of parliament, for goodness sake, now is the time.
“We’re going to give our MPs a chance to do their work and if they fail us, then the people will act.”
Today’s Cabinet reshuffle saw the ouster of former Deputy Prime Minister Muhyiddin Yassin and several other federal ministers, in what is seen as Prime Minister Najib’s consolidation of power and support in the face of mounting criticism of the 1MDB case.
1MDB has been alleged to be RM42 billion in debt, with a report by The Wall Street Journal alleging that RM2.6 billion in 1MDB funds had been transferred to Najib’s personal bank accounts in 2013, two months before the 13th General Elections.
The Edge, now slapped with a three-month publishing permit suspension for its print editions, also alleged that local billionaire Jho Low and top PetroSaudi bosses had conspired to swindle RM6.9 billion in 1MDB funds from 2009 to 2011.
1MDB is wholly owned by the Finance Ministry, which is Najib’s secondary portfolio. He also serves as the chair of 1MDB’s board of advisors.
