By Ariff Sabri, MP for Raub

I actually want to begin commenting on 1MDB- but can’t resist commenting beforehand on the accusation that DAP is controlled by evangelists. The person saying this must be a mental gnome or what.

As a Malay and a Muslim in DAP, I would be among the first to actually know whether DAP is run by evangelists and wants to Christianise everyone. DAP is a secular party which treats a person’s religious denomination as a private matter.

DAP leaders and volunteers transferring goods from the UBAH truck during the devastating floods in the East Coast

So who are the evangelists? Teresa Kok? Tony Pua? Anhony Loke? The Singh brothers?Charles Santiago, DAP MP for Klang has the ominous name of being a secret preacher, but fraternizing with him, reveals that he is a soft spoken fellow, happier at talking about Trade Agreements or the plight of refugees. Just dont get him on stage where he will boom about the injustices of the BN government!

I think these people would be happiest when left alone to pursue their own religiosity. If Teresa kok wants to be a nun, that is her choice. She is sometimes referred to as Mother Teresa – that’s a testimony for her untiring social work. I don’t even know whether Anthony Loke, Tony Pua and others are regular church goers or not. It’s a private matter.

They are no preachers. The only thing Tony Pua preaches on is 1MDB and he wants to convert all listeners and readers into believing that 1MDB is the mother of the mother of all scandals. He has converted many, even Dr Mahathir.

90% of DAP members are Buddhists I think, or some whom I know are free thinkers. So, far from trying to turn Malays into Christians, they would do well to convert the DAP members first. Now, these are made up of ordinary Chinese, who are more at home sitting on crates drinking whatever they want. I think if DAP evangelists want to convert them, these people would lanxxxw or chxxai them first.

So how do we treat the statement that DAP is run by evangelists? It’s a sensational statement superseded only by the stupidity of the person giving it.

The only agenda in accusing DAP as being run by evangelists is to create further distrust and fear among Malays. I will ask the Malays the same question- is your faith that fragile, that it’s easy to get you converted?

Now, if there are evangelists who go into the jungles converting orang aslis into Christians- why should that bother us Malays? They are not Muslims. And if they get converted into one of the revealed religions, that is a good thing.
When it comes to us Muslims choosing to discredit Christianity on whatever grounds- that is a different matter altogether.The lunatic fringe crowds from both sides will do that, either openly or quietly. The responsibility of this government is to prevent a jihad or a crusade.
My worry is that our pirate DNA-ed PM has this habit of running with the hare and hunting with the dogs.

If Muslim missionaries don’t want to spend time in the jungles and rough it out living among orang Aslis, we should not prevent others who are willing. As long as Malays don’t get converted. We prevent Malays and Muslims from being converted by strengthening our own faith.

After getting that off my chest, allow me to speak of the matter a hand.

So many people are talking about 1MDB. People forget it was Tony Pua and Rafizi Ramli who first sounded this financial scandal out in the first place. Outside of the political crowd, Sarawak Report and the Edge put up revealing exposé about 1MDB.

Then came DR Mahathir.

The stature of Dr Mahathir placed him as the most prominent critic of 1MDB. The opposition expects no thank you notes from him. We are happy that he has chosen to fight alongside us. Our objectives are however different.

He seeks the removal of Najib. It is however a futile endeavour. Because Dr Mahathir has no replacement. He must say clearly who he wants. He wants Muhyidin, but the man has not got sufficient capacity and stature. He does not want Tengku Razaleigh for 1001 reasons although, TRH is the best qualified for the job.

We seek to expose the incompetence, gross abuse of power and downright embezzlement of the money in 1MDB with the help of the PM who must be directly or indirectly complicit in the matter. We want a post Najib and post UMNO type of political leadership.

We can support Tengku Razaleigh if he is committed to the ideals of forming a true democratic and a rule of law government. We want a government founded on the principle of accountability. Among others.

We cannot be expected to list down what we are going to do just because the other side demands it. They don’t have a clue either in running the government. Just as Jack Sparrow, the pirate DNAed PM makes things up as he goes along. Today 1 Malaysia, yesterday piratisation on the seas, today piratisation of the treasury.

Enough technicalities have been unearthed about 1mdb. When the idea of TIA was abandoned, how much did Jho Low get paid? Surely putting up the idea and having it accepted even temporarily was not an act of charity. So how much did Jho Low get?

When TIA morphed into 1MDB, Najib and Jho Low got a free hand to deal and wheel as they pleased. Najib must have thought being the number 1, he answers to no one. He forgot the principle of accountability.

As Muslims, most members of the cabinet must understand the principle of working together. The Holy Quran says People cooperate and work with one another in the pursuit of good things and the fortification of spirituality. They don’t work and conspire in the commission of bad things.

No member of the cabinet must be held under the overrated term of collective responsibility in the commissioning of a wrong or on something they have no prior knowledge and wasn’t a party to.

Clearly someone is stealing money from 1MDB or using MDB as the means. Things can’t be done without the knowledge and even approval of the PM. He knows wrongdoings have been committed but was hoping holes can be covered before others know about it.

The wrongdoings even if made good later, do not cancel out the fraud and crimes committed.

Everyone knows about paying more for the IPPs. The cost was probably around RM8-10 billion, but the PM okayed the purchase at RM18 billion. More than that, he Okayed the payment of RM6 billion outstanding debts incurred by the IPPs.

Someone must have put in these to be plucked conditions in the SNP. The money was collected and distributed by the clever guys who drew up the SNP.

But please don’t forget the remittance of over USD 1 billion into Good Star Limited Account. That company was not a party to the agreement between 1MDB and the bogus Petrosaudi Caymans. Who approved the remittance? It must be the PM because not transactions can take place without his approval. Even if Jho Low promised Najib that the USD700 million to USD 1 billion can be repaid later, a wrong has been committed. A fraud and criminal breach of trust may have been committed.

So forget about the issue of DAP being controlled by evangelists. Instead insist that Muslim cabinet members follow the tenets of the Muslim Holy Book.