Minister in the Prime Minister's Department Abdul Rahman Dahlan should extend his call to blacklist companies supporting Bersih, to countries probing the 1MDB scandal.

This followed the minister agreeing with an Utusan Malaysia editorial yesterday calling Putrajaya to deny Bersih supporters government contracts.

Segambut MP Lim Lip Eng said the minister should in the same spirit ask the government to cut ties with at least six countries probing money laundering linked to 1MDB.

Foremost, he said, Switzerland, Singapore and US have been probing several banks and their officials for money-laundering deals linked to 1MDB.

The US Department of Justice (DOJ), reminded the MP, has filed a series of suits to seize assets and expenditure in the US using funds it claims had been illegally obtained from 1MDB.

"Isn't the (US) investigation and court action all working against the BN government that Rahman is part of?

"Shouldn't then Rahman urge the government to cut ties with the six countries, especially with the US?" asked Lim in a statement today.

Bersih has embarked on weekly nationwide convoys to drum up support for its Nov 19 Bersih 5 rally to call for electoral reform, and for the resignation of Prime Minister Najib Razak over the 1MDB scandal, particularly over the DOJ allegations.

'Name Harapan-blacklisted company'

Rahman had justified his call to blacklist companies he claimed were bent on "toppling the government" by accusing the Harapan governments of doing the same to their political enemies.

He claimed bumiputera F class contractors had been forced out of business after being sidelined by the DAP-led Penang government.

"Can Rahman name one firm supporting BN that had been blacklisted by the two state governments?

"The world of business and politics by right should be separated and not be victimised, just as how the Selangor and Penang governments still do business with companies that are known to have close ties with BN," said Lim.

"Rahman should retract his threat and apologise if he cannot name even one firm that the Penang and Selangor governments had treated badly purely because of political differences," said the DAP parliamentarian.

Lim said the minister's announcement to blacklist certain companies for supporting the coalition for free and fair elections is surely "shocking" to the business community.

"What method would he use to ensure that not a single company, whether subsidiaries of large companies or top executives of well-known firms, would support Bersih?

"Is Rahman going to suggest a new declaration form for companies who have dealings with the government?" asked Lim.