Kit Siang slams Najib’s appointment as BN backbenchers’ chairman

KUALA LUMPUR, Nov 2 — DAP veteran Lim Kit Siang has called on Parliament not to recognise former prime minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak as chairman of the Barisan Nasional Backbenchers’ Club (BNBBC).

In a statement today, Lim said any such recognition would “plunge the Malaysian Parliament into new shame and infamy.”

He also said that the appointment would be “completely antithetical to the task of making the people of Malaysia whole” as it comes three months after Najib was found guilty of corruption, money-laundering and abuse of power charges in connection with the RM42 million SRC International case.

Najib also faces several other trials connected with the 1 Malaysia Development Berhad (1MDB) scandal.

“Najib’s appointment is doubly shocking and shameful — proof that public integrity and anti-corruption are furthest from the principles and vision of Umno, MCA and MIC,” the DAP MP for Iskandar Puteri said in the statement.

Yesterday, it was reported that Najib has been appointed as the chairman of the BNBBC ahead of today's Dewan Rakyat sitting.

Sources were quoted as saying that his appointment would allow him to coordinate matters among BN backbenchers as Parliament meets to debate Budget 2021 on November 6.

Najib’s appointment comes amid tension between Umno and Parti Pribumi Bersatu Malaysia, with Najib set to play a bigger role to resolve the parties’ dispute.

BN has 43 MPs — Umno (39), MCA (2), MIC (1) and PBRS (1) — with 23 of them being backbenchers aligned to Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin’s Perikatan Nasional coalition government.