Kit Siang: Is Dr M doing a Shahrizat?

Stephanie Sta Maria | March 1, 2012

The DAP MP questioned whether Mahathir is confident of immunity provided by the other Tuns' unwillingness to be audited.

PETALING JAYA: DAP stalwart Lim Kit Siang has responded to former premier Dr Mahathir Mohamad’s suggestion for all Tuns to be audited with a question – “Is Mahathir doing a Shahrizat?”

The Ipoh Timor MP claimed that taxpayers lost RM100 billion in financial scandals during Mahathir’s 22 years of premiership and called for a full audit into the matter.

Lim’s call followed Putrajaya’s controversial decision to drop legal action against Malaysian Airlines System Bhd’s (MAS) chief, Tajudin Ramli, who owed the government RM589 million.

Mahathir yesterday welcomed the audit provided that all Tuns and their “sons and grandsons” be subjected to a similar probe.

In a media statement today, Lim remarked that Mahathir was rephrasing Women, Family and Community Development Minisiter Shahrizat Abdul Jalil, whose response to the National Feedlot Scandal (NFC) was, “Tell me which Umno leaders does not have any problems?”

“Is Mahathir so confident of enjoying immunity and impunity for the RM100 billion losses because the other Tuns and their sons and grandsons would never agree to a full investigation, even to clear their names?” he asked.

“Is he also supremely confident that the sons and grandsons’ of previous prime ministers would not agree to a full audit into the financial blackhole during his era?” he added.

‘Tuns must speak up’

Lim then challenged the Tuns from the Mahathir era to speak up on their willingness to support such an audit.

The group includes former premier Abdullah Ahmad Badawi, former deputy prime minister Musa Hitam, former finance minister Daim Zainuddin and former transport minister, Dr Lim Liong Sik.

He further called on Prime Minister Najib Tun Razak and Home Minister Hishamuddin Hussein to speak up as sons of Malaysia’s second and third premiers respectively.

Lim also blamed the fall in MAS’ reputation from a premier airline to a parlous crisis to a decision made by Mahathir in 1994.

“Mahathir used Bank Negara’s MAS shares to bail out the national bank from its RM30 billion foreign exchange losses,” he stated. “Malaysians today are still paying for those financial scandals, none of which have ever been fully accounted for.”

“So let us also hear from the Deputy Prime Minister Muhyiddin Yassin, every Cabinet minister and all Barisan Nasional component parties on whether they will support a full audit into the RM100 billion losses?” he said.