If Najib showed up, 1MDB forum would turn into street brawl, says Sabah speaker
(The Malaysian Insider) – The dialogue between Datuk Seri Najib Razak and the public on 1Malaysia Development Bhd (1MDB) yesterday was a bad idea and the prime minister has saved himself indignity by not showing up, Sabah assembly speaker Datuk Seri Salleh Said Keruak said in his blog.
He also said former prime minister Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad had lowered his stature to that of a “street brawler” by wanting to debate with Najib.
Salleh said yesterday’s dialogue titled “Nothing to Hide” where Najib would have taken questions from the public on 1MDB, would achieve nothing as Dr Mahathir had already made his mind not to accept Putrajaya’s explanations on the debt-ridden government-owned firm.
“Dr Mahathir does not care what Najib has to say. He has already decided he will not accept Najib’s explanation. Dr Mahathir has reduced himself from the level of a statesman to that of a street brawler,” Salleh said in his blog.
“And this is most unfortunate. What is even more unfortunate is that Dr Mahathir expects the prime minister to also come down to this level.
“Had Najib turned up today the entire event would have become undignified,” he added.
Najib, who is finance minister and 1MDB’s advisory board chairman, did not turn up for the dialogue organised by law group SukaGuam, after police ordered the event to be cancelled, citing a serious security threat.
Najib then came under severe criticism with many accusing him of being afraid to face Dr Mahathir, who had arrived at the event early.
But Salleh said the dialogue was a bad idea as it would only have ended up as a “public brawl”.
