Ramkarpal backs move to oust Najib, but no fan of Dr Mahathir

DAP lawmaker Ramkarpal Singh said he was against working with Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad although he supported the Citizens' Declaration to push for Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak's resignation. The Bukit Gelugor MP said he maintained his position, which he stated in April last year, that the proposal to work with the former prime minister to "save Malaysia" would be an "unimaginable disaster waiting to happen". "There can be no doubt that working with Dr Mahathir would be unwise having regard to the many atrocities he committed during his 22-year reign as prime minister including, but not limited to, the infamous judicial crisis in 1988, which has had a major impact on our judiciary today. "The position is, however, different in the case of the Citizens' Declaration, as it does not imply a working relationship between the opposition and Dr Mahathir but rather, a recognition of one of the objectives of the opposition, namely the democratic ouster of Najib due to his many shortcomings and failures. "In other words, the question of working with Dr Mahathir does not arise, as the purpose of the Citizens' Declaration is merely to formally recognise the fact that Najib has to go, a view which is commonly shared by the opposition and Dr Mahathir," he said in a statement today. He was responding to questions whether his stance on working with Dr Mahathir could be reconciled with the Citizens' Declaration signed last Friday by various opposition leaders. "I have stated in the past that Najib must go but this can only be achieved by democratic means. "It is mainly for this reason that the said Citizens' Declaration ought to be supported as it clearly demands the removal of Najib by "non-violent and legally permissible means."  Ramkarpal also said it would always be the position of the opposition that not only Najib had to go, but the entire Barisan Nasional government as well. He said it should be accomplished by way of a no-confidence motion in Parliament, if not through the ballot box in the next general election. "It is for these reasons that BN rule cannot be maintained. "Only a change of government would enable the necessary reforms to be made, particularly to various institutions such as the Attorney-General's Chambers, the judiciary and law enforcement agencies, which has always been the long-term goal of the opposition," he said. – March 9, 2016.]]>