PM and DPM - time to have new advisers after another round of savage but avoidable battering to their credibility with delayed denials

The Prime Minister, Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi and Deputy Prime Minister, Datuk Seri Najib Razak, have finally broken their silence on blogger Raja Petra Kamaruddin’s statutory declaration with the “mind-boggling” accusation that Najib’s wife, Datin Seri Rosmah Mansor was among three individuals who were also present when Mongolian national Altantuya Shaariibuu was murdered on Oct 19, 2006.

Raja Petra also alleged that the Prime Minister “has received a written report from the Military Intelligence” confirming his allegations and this report was subsequently handed over to his son-in-law Khairy Jamaluddin for safekeeping".

Raja Petra also claimed that "one of the Rulers has been briefed about this matter” and “is fully aware” of the allegations.

Abdullah and Najib should have broken their silence and made their denials five days ago when Raja Petra’s allegations in his statutory declaration dated 18th June 2008 first surfaced on the Internet, reported by Malaysiakini and picked up by the blogs.

This was why I had issued a media statement four days ago on Saturday calling for public responses from Abdullah, Najib and Rosmah to Raja Petra’s statutory declaration, warning that “the credibility and legitimacy of the Abdullah premiership and government will suffer a mortal blow if Abdullah, Najib and Rosmah remain silent on Raja Petra’s bombshell allegations”.

This was also why I had given notice to Parliament on Sunday to invoke Standing Order 18 to seek an emergency debate on Raja Petra’s allegations to safeguard the credibility and legitimacy of the government.

Although my Standing Order 18 motion was rejected by the Speaker yesterday on the ground of sub judice with the ongoing Altantuya murder trials – quite irrelevant to the intent of my application - the Prime Minister spoke up yesterday followed by Najib today.

If Abdullah and Najib had instantly responded to Raja Petra’s “mind-boggling” allegations five days ago, there would have been no need for me to invoke Standing Order 18 for an emergency debate of a matter of urgent, definite public importance and the reputation, credibility and legitimacy of the Prime Minister and Deputy Prime Minister would have been saved from another round of savage and haemorrhaging battering in the court of public opinion not only in the country but also world-wide.

It is time that the Prime Minister and Deputy Prime Minister have new advisers as both are not being well-served by their present coterie of political advisers – whether stationed in the Putrajaya fourth storey or not.

In his response yesterday, Abdullah dismissed Raja Petra's allegations that he had seen a military intelligence report on the murder that backed the allegations.

The Prime Minister said: "No, I can't remember receiving anything. He can say anything but I have not seen it."

As Abdullah’s statement gives room for doubt as to whether the Prime Minister’s memory could be faulty, it has made it imperative for Khairy to respond, as Raja Petra alleged that the written report from the Military Intelligence to the Prime Minister “was subsequently handed over to his son-in-law Khairy Jamaluddin for safekeeping".

* Lim Kit Siang,  DAP Parliamentary leader & MP for Ipoh Timor