KUALA LUMPUR (May 3): Barisan Nasional component parties have lost their credibility to voters because of their silence on the 1Malaysia Development Bhd (1MDB) scandal, said former Finance Minister Tun Daim Zainuddin.
"MCA and the rest of the component parties have lost credibility with the voters because they were silent on 1MDB," Daim said in an interview with Nanyang Siang Pau. "Their silence on 1MDB reflects their subservient approach towards Umno. Not a word about Jho Low and they never asked why he is hiding.
"Why hide unless he has committed some crime? Surely, they must have read all the foreign reports and watched TV news and videos. To non-Malays and urban people they can only come to one conclusion: these parties support corruption and kleptocracy. What kind of example are they giving to the young? Where are their principles in politics and life," he asked.
Daim said that by their silence, it seems that they endorse kleptocracy, "which no one in his right mind can accept".
"The government admitted it adopted the wrong business model on 1MDB. You can’t succeed in a business with RM1 million paid up capital and borrowings of US$11 billion. Ask those in business whether this is what they call business. The Prime Minister himself said mistakes were made. But sadly, MCA, Gerakan and MIC have not uttered a word. I was asked on 1MDB years ago and my replies are on record. Why create 1MDB as a sovereign fund when we already have Khazanah?" he said.
Daim said MCA and Gerakan have been losing support and that DAP seems to represent the Chinese as shown in the last election.
"MCA needs Malay votes to win elections. I think Umno thinks it does not need Chinese support anymore as shown by the recent redelineation exercise. Even the Chairman of the Election Commission (EC) confirmed that the delineation was to make constituencies race-based. It is unbecoming for the EC Chairman to confirm this publicly. And Umno seems to prefer PAS. At least we see their presidents together and very cordial towards each other," he said.
Daim also said MCA has lost its credibility after breaking its pledge not to join the Cabinet after the last general election.
"MCA in the last election promised not to join the Cabinet if Chinese voters rejected them. They were rejected and later broke their pledge. How can the Chinese trust them? They have no credibility. Umno seems to reject them as shown by the delineation exercise. What other conclusions can you come to when you study the delineation exercise? These parties committed suicide by voting in Parliament," he said.
"BN can't convince them with the government’s latest delineation exercise as MCA, Gerakan and MIC did not object. You observe that PAS, on the other hand, objected. MCA, Gerakan and MIC show that they just follow Umno blindly. At least in 1959, Tun Lim Chong Eu was brave to challenge the Umno leadership. He fought for MCA and did it for the interest of his party and his race. Tan Sri Tan Koon Swan too was brave and fought for his community," he added.