Najib should stand down as Finance Minister

Media conference statement by DAP National Political Education Director and MP for Kluang Liew Chin Tong in Kluang on 7th March 2015

In light of the statement on 1MDB by Deputy Prime Minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin, Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak should stand down as Finance Minister immediately to facilitate transparant and independent investigation into the 1MDB scandal.

I have repeatedly called for a full-time Finance Minister to steer the Malaysian economy forward in time of crisis and a possible recession. However, Muhyiddin’s statement alone is sufficient ground for Najib’s removal as Finance Minister.

Muhyiddin made three major points, namely,

1. That the Auditor-General should audit freely and independently, and tracing back to the accounts in 2009 when 1MDB first started, not just the accounts of 2013.

2. That the Public Accounts Committee can began investigating 1MDB without having to wait for the outcome of the Auditor-General’s findings

3. That 1MDB must not be bailed out, Muhyiddin questioned the proposed disposals of lands such as that of Tun Razak Exchange and Bandar Malaysia which were obtained at very low price.

It is the clearest indication of an impending challenge to Najib’s premiership by Muhyiddin.

While Najib may still cling on to the Prime Minister’s post for a while, it is the onus of members of the Cabinet to demand Najib to stand down as Minister of Finance for full and independent investigation on 1MDB.

Liew Chin Tong