Two veteran members of Chinese Barisan Nasional component party MCA have called for Prime Minister Najib Razak to step down, joining a growing number of BN politicians who have become disillusioned with his leadership.
Tan Foong Luen, MCA Seremban’s legal bureau chief, and Kluang MCA division chief Gan Ping Sieu, urged the seven members of Parliament from MCA to consider whether it would still be wise to support Najib’s claim to the highest public office.
The Malaysian Insider reports Tan spoke out in response to a call from Dr Mahathir Mohamad, the country’s longest-serving prime minister and a mentor of Najib’s, who has in recent months become the PM’s most vocal critic.
Tan asserted that while Najib is indeed the Prime Minister, he was not technically elected to the position democratically, as he was only voted into the Pekan, Pahang parliamentary seat by local constituents, and was appointed PM according to BN custom, which elevates the president of UMNO and the coalition to the position.
“He was appointed prime minister because BN has the majority seat in the Dewan Rakyat,” he added.
Gan, on the other hand, saw the Federal Opposition’s efforts to build a bipartisan consensus in proposing a vote of no confidence against Najib in Parliament as a smokescreen, when they actually want to see Najib remain in power until the 14th General Elections.
“They are canvassing for a unity government but in actual fact want to see Najib remain in office until the next general election in order to capture Putrajaya.
“To them Najib is now an asset but all MPs must rise above partisan politics as the interests of the people and nation is at stake,” he added.
Mahathir had earlier said that a bipartisan vote of no confidence against Najib would only work if BN’s position as stewards of the Government be maintained, and that Najib’s ouster would not spell doom for BN control of Malaysian politics, but actually strengthen it.
The are 134 MPs from BN, 87 from the opposition and one independent. At least 113 MPs must support any no-confidence vote to successfully remove Najib.
