Incoming prime minister Najib Abdul Razak and his wife Rosmah Mansor may have upped the ante in the fight to prove their innocence from allegations of being involved in the international commission and murder case of Mongolian translator Altantuya Shaariibuu.
If so, the latest salvo from the couple - the barring of lawmakers from Malaysia’s own Parliament from even trying to raise questions about their possible complicity - has worked against them, creating even greater suspicion in the minds of Malaysians.
Not only are parliamentarians shaking their heads at improper procedure, many Malaysians believe that a sensational news report published by well-known French newspaper Liberation recently may have shot a bit too near to the truth for their comfort.
Hence the shocking decision to suspend Gobind Singh Deo, the fast-rising and popular MP for Puchong known for his fearless defence and pro-bono legal work for the underdog. Gobind had tried to question Najib in Parliament, sparking a counter-attack from the government, which now wants him barred from the august House for a year without pay or privileges.
Tabled by Minister in Prime Minister’s Department Nazri Aziz, the motion to suspend him with immediate effect was passed today after 40 minutes of debate. This spurred an immediate walkout by the opposition, even though the Najib’s Umno-Barisan Nasional coalition had been expected to leverage on its majority and hammer the vote through.
“This is an indication of Najib’s intolerance. It also shows how allergic he is to the mere mention of Altantuya,” scorned Tian Chua, an opposition lawmaker and information chief of KeADILan.
“Gobind was already been punished by the Deputy Speaker Ronald Kiandee with a one-day suspension for what transpired in the House on Thursday, and it goes against all the rudiments of common sense, fair play and justice to subject him to double jeopardy with a very harsh second punishment over the same incident,” chided veteran politician Lim Kit Siang.
But according to Nazri: “His rude behaviour to the Deputy Prime Minister was sufficient.”
As ‘miserable’ as Rosmah
But such is the political reality in Malaysia after more than five decades of dominance by the Umno-BN, where as a result, top Umno leaders are emboldened to pursue their whims and fancies - political or personal - with little fear of retribution or remorse.
The 28-year old Altantuya, who was pregnant, was allegedly shot twice in the head by two elite police officers, previously detailed as bodyguards to Rosmah. Her body was then blown up with explosives to avoid identification.
A close aide of Najib, Razak Baginda, has admitted that the slim and beautiful Mongolian national was his lover. However, a private investigator in the case has also revealed that before meeting Razak, Altantuya was Najib’s mistress.
According to Liberation, Altantuya was a go-between in Malaysia’s costly purchase of two Scorpene submarines during Najib’s tenure as defence minister, while Razak was his intermediary for the commission paid by European shipbuilder Armaris.
Things came to boil, when a jealous Rosmah refused to pay Altanutya a cent of her US$500,000 share of the overall 114 million euros commission. Altantuya’s pestering of Razak eventually led to her killing, the French newspaper reported.
Najib and Rosmah have assiduously denied all involvement in the case. In a bid to damage-control, Rosmah has in the past few days given out interviews to foreign media.
“When I heard these unpleasant things it shocked me, I can’t imagine that somebody like that could exist on this earth and not feel guilty about making other people’s lives miserable,” she told a news wire over the weekend.
Possibly so, but another group that must have also felt as miserable as Rosmah, is Altantuya’s family - her two small sons, her mother and her father. They have threatened to take the case to the International Court of Justice.
Suara Keadilan
16/03/09
If so, the latest salvo from the couple - the barring of lawmakers from Malaysia’s own Parliament from even trying to raise questions about their possible complicity - has worked against them, creating even greater suspicion in the minds of Malaysians.
Not only are parliamentarians shaking their heads at improper procedure, many Malaysians believe that a sensational news report published by well-known French newspaper Liberation recently may have shot a bit too near to the truth for their comfort.
Hence the shocking decision to suspend Gobind Singh Deo, the fast-rising and popular MP for Puchong known for his fearless defence and pro-bono legal work for the underdog. Gobind had tried to question Najib in Parliament, sparking a counter-attack from the government, which now wants him barred from the august House for a year without pay or privileges.
Tabled by Minister in Prime Minister’s Department Nazri Aziz, the motion to suspend him with immediate effect was passed today after 40 minutes of debate. This spurred an immediate walkout by the opposition, even though the Najib’s Umno-Barisan Nasional coalition had been expected to leverage on its majority and hammer the vote through.
“This is an indication of Najib’s intolerance. It also shows how allergic he is to the mere mention of Altantuya,” scorned Tian Chua, an opposition lawmaker and information chief of KeADILan.
“Gobind was already been punished by the Deputy Speaker Ronald Kiandee with a one-day suspension for what transpired in the House on Thursday, and it goes against all the rudiments of common sense, fair play and justice to subject him to double jeopardy with a very harsh second punishment over the same incident,” chided veteran politician Lim Kit Siang.
But according to Nazri: “His rude behaviour to the Deputy Prime Minister was sufficient.”
As ‘miserable’ as Rosmah
But such is the political reality in Malaysia after more than five decades of dominance by the Umno-BN, where as a result, top Umno leaders are emboldened to pursue their whims and fancies - political or personal - with little fear of retribution or remorse.
The 28-year old Altantuya, who was pregnant, was allegedly shot twice in the head by two elite police officers, previously detailed as bodyguards to Rosmah. Her body was then blown up with explosives to avoid identification.
A close aide of Najib, Razak Baginda, has admitted that the slim and beautiful Mongolian national was his lover. However, a private investigator in the case has also revealed that before meeting Razak, Altantuya was Najib’s mistress.
According to Liberation, Altantuya was a go-between in Malaysia’s costly purchase of two Scorpene submarines during Najib’s tenure as defence minister, while Razak was his intermediary for the commission paid by European shipbuilder Armaris.
Things came to boil, when a jealous Rosmah refused to pay Altanutya a cent of her US$500,000 share of the overall 114 million euros commission. Altantuya’s pestering of Razak eventually led to her killing, the French newspaper reported.
Najib and Rosmah have assiduously denied all involvement in the case. In a bid to damage-control, Rosmah has in the past few days given out interviews to foreign media.
“When I heard these unpleasant things it shocked me, I can’t imagine that somebody like that could exist on this earth and not feel guilty about making other people’s lives miserable,” she told a news wire over the weekend.
Possibly so, but another group that must have also felt as miserable as Rosmah, is Altantuya’s family - her two small sons, her mother and her father. They have threatened to take the case to the International Court of Justice.
Suara Keadilan
16/03/09
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