KUALA LUMPUR: Prime Minister Najib Abdul Razak may be able to buy his way through the next election but he will not be able to acquire funds to sustain his purchase of popularity, predicts former Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad in his latest blog posting. “The government he leads will not be able to borrow.”
“The country’s economy will collapse.”
The people will suffer, warned Mahathir. “This is the grim picture that lies in store for Malaysians because Najib has basically stolen the government.”
What’s happening in Malaysia today is unprecedented, he lamented. “The rule of law has been turned upside down and the people seem powerless to do anything to put it right again.”
“This is because the very leader entrusted with upholding the law has become the subject of the due process of the law.”
It is alleged that he has broken the law, he added. “As no one is above the law, it follows that he must be investigated to determine if indeed he had broken the law.”
Public opinion remains strong in wanting Najib to resign as Prime Minister, said Mahathir. “Consequently, there’s talk about moving a vote of no-confidence against him in Parliament.”
“This is very difficult as almost all the Umno members seem beholden to him. The Opposition does not have enough members to pass the motion.”
The only other process for the removal of a Prime Minister was a vote of no-confidence in Parliament. “It needs a simple majority. With the fall of the Prime Minister, the whole government would fall.”
By majority decision in Parliament, said Mahathir, a new government may be set up. “It may be the same party or a different party. Alternatively, an election can be held.”
“These are the avenues of legal redress provided in the Federal Constitution and laws.”
So there is a stalemate, conceded Mahathir. “But the economy is reacting in its own way. The ringgit has depreciated to below its old fixed rate of RM3.80 to the USD. It is now at 4 ringgit plus and is likely to drop further. The effect is to make the country poor. Paying debts by 1MDB in USD would cost more. Already, 1MDB is unable even to service its debts.”
“The stock market has all but collapsed. Investors, especially foreign investors are taking out their money to safer places abroad.”
The government is short of funds, claimed Mahathir. “It has to cut budget allocations to all ministries.”
“The introduction of the GST has only resulted in increasing the cost of living making the depreciation of the ringgit more acute.”
source from: http://www.freemalaysiatoday.com/
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