There is no necessity for investigations into controversies plaguing the country if there are honourable men who have the relevant facts to put the matters to rest.
This should be the situation in the cases of the controversies and purported mega financial scandals that have arisen of late and are being discussed by the public, Malaysia's longest-serving Member of Parliament, Tengku Razaleigh Hamzah, believes.
"Gripes about this situation are making the rounds. Not least is the dire straits that our sovereign fund, 1MDB, finds itself in," Tengku Razaleigh said in a statement last night.
Nevertheless, the Gua Musang MP lamented how the reality is that all these remained mere talk and "nothing has changed".
"In effect, currently there is much confusion in the people’s minds, having to process statements for which the veracity is suspect and might not reflect the true situation," he said.
Expressing hope that there was still "honour left" in the country, Tengku Razaleigh also expressed hope that there were honourable men who had the relevant facts to put the matters to rest.
"They should stand fast by their principles and take the moral high ground to assist in the resolution of the problems.
"If this were the case, surely there is no necessity for us to waste time instituting inquiries and investigations.
"Knowing the facts and the problems, but not telling the truth is not an option," he said.
Essential to rebuilding confidence
Such an action, said Tengku Razaleigh, would enable the country to restore its "battered and damaged image and dignity" within the global community.
"This is essential in our efforts to rebuild the confidence that was painstakingly developed by our founding fathers."
His statement comes after former prime minister Dr Mahathir Mohamad said those with information must "make a decision" between whistleblowing or covering up evidence.
Although Mahathir was not specific, he had sarcastically said that whistleblowing becomes a problem when it comes to whistleblowing on the prime minister (Najib Abdul Razak).
The latest revelation by cited Malaysian government investigators as revealing that almost RM2.6 billion in 1MDB funds had been deposited into Najib's private bank accounts through proxies.
A special task force has since been set up to investigate this matter.
Meanwhile, Tengku Razaleigh also believes that focus should be given to the more immediate concerns, such as the financial difficulties faced by the people due to the shrinking ringgit as well as "burdensome impositions" in the form of the goods and services tax (GST).
The Umno parliamentarian once again called for the new tax system to be deferred as it has a negative impact on ordinary people.
"To mitigate the loss of revenue, it could be replaced by some other taxation," he said, stressing that the hardship of the people as a result of the GST must be alleviated.
Urging all to stop bickering, Tengku Razaleigh believes that a "total overhaul of the system" should be considered.
"We must stop bickering, squabbling and politicking. We must close ranks and come together to achieve the rich potential that has always been our feature.
"We should consider a total overhaul of the system," he added.
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