Prime Minister Najib Abdul Razak should not step down and make way to another ‘penyamun’ (bandit) said PKR vice president Nurul Izzah Anwar in a press conference today in Petaling Jaya.

 

She was responding to a comment by former premier Dr Mahathir Mohamed who has been pushing for Najib to be replaced.

 

Nurul said replacing Najib with his deputy, Muhyiddin Yassin, as suggested by some quarters in the ruling coalition, would not solve the country’s problems in the economy, education and political system.

 

"I don't need to comment more when elephant and elephant fight - maybe I can buy popcorn and eat. 

 

“But the issue is we need to have policies to save Malaysia. We understand the seriousness of the situation but we don’t want a transition from a penyamun to another," she asserted.

Nurul also declared that 1MDB had caused international embarrassment to the country.

 

She added the prime minister’s handling of the issue could cause an economic disaster for his successor to inherit.

 

Nurul called on all Malaysians to work together to change the country and to make sure Najib and his BN cohorts would not hold on to power.

 

She also decried his handling of the Tabung Haji fiasco, saying Najib was not showing signs of remorse and what was required was transparency and for those responsible to be answerable, and that due process was ensured.

“But these things are not taking place,” she brooded.

The 1MDB controversy over its RM42 billion debt has also made Najib the target of negative report after negative report.

 

Last week, a blog reported that Lembaga Tabung Haji bought a plot of 1.56 acres of 1MDB land for an inflated price of RM188.5 million. Interestingly, this was allegedly about the amount in loan interest 1MDB was due to pay.

 

This deal drew ire from people regardless of their backgrounds and became ammunition for Mahathir who continues to battle for Najib's resignation.

 

Asked whether if she and PKR would want Najib to to stay in power because it makes the opposition's job "easier", Izzah said this was not the case.

 

Although she admitted Najib and his cabinet’s controversial decisions and lifestyles positively impacted on the support received by Pakatan, changes would not happen unless BN and its governance system were shelved altogether.

 

"It makes it easier for people to see why they should reject Umno and BN but I repeat, even if Najib is not the PM, I would be still worried over our future.

 

“We need a reformation. The situation is more serious now. What we want is a full transformation so that we have new leaders and not from Umno BN," she said.

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