Yoursay: MO1 - from prime minister to prime suspect

YOURSAY | ‘Tommy Thomas’ opening statement will be recorded as the most powerful statement ever recorded in the court of law...’

First day of Najib's trial ends, resumes on April 15

Clever Voter: The trial of former prime minister Najib Abdul Razak will be significant in determining the course of the country’s future.

A successful outcome will be one that is not just popular, but signifies that the rule of law is in place, against all odds.

For the judiciary, it will be about recovering their embattled image. For the government, it will show that they have stayed away from executive interference.

The trial will also be a gauge of the new ‘opposition hero’ Najib’s ability to mobilise support, and whether he is down and out or still a formidable force. The media, meanwhile, will be able to see if they are muzzled or free to report as they see fit.

Ultimately, the principle of democracy is at stake here. This remains the single most important element as far as this nation’s future is concerned.

Many can hope for professional conduct, but justice is a must. Najib’s trial will be a journey, rather than a one-off event.

Newday: All that much-anticipated court time is done and dusted in under four hours. That isn’t right. Day two of the trial should be tomorrow, not April 15.

Our ‘Malaysian Official 1’ will sleep soundly tonight, and every night until the middle of the month at least. There isn’t enough sweat on the accused’s brow, not with him being allowed to go home early and rest up for 10 days. It’s just not right.

Umno supreme council member Lokman Noor Adam says that former SRC International director Ariff Kamil Nik Othman Arif Kamil “knew that the money should be banked into this account since Najib was one of the guarantors for SRC International to obtain funding.”

In what capacity was Najib one of the guarantors? It was certainly not in his private capacity, but rather him being the finance minister. So what was the RM42 million doing in his private bank account, when this was strictly government business? Lokman really makes no sense.

Also, what does Lokman mean when he claims that Harapan can’t pin anything on ‘bossku’, not even after 11 months in power? Has he forgotten that he is attending day one of the trial? 

There are plenty of opportunities to pin many things on his dodgy boss from this point forward.

RZee: Yes, Lokman is talking nonsense. Why is charging the former prime minister for fiddling with RM42 million of the rakyat’s money selective prosecution?

If Najib stole then he stole, and will go to jail if found guilty. If he is innocent, then prove it.

It looks like these hangers-on want thieves and crooks to run the country. For the record, the rest of us don’t.

Roger 5201: Najib supporter ‘Sofian Putra’ tells the media that foreign media are unwelcome because they made "Malays fight Malays" and they are “liars.”

But had it not been for the foreign media reporting the facts, which our former communications minister Salleh Said Keruak tried so hard to block, the 1MDB story would not have reached the people.

It was US Department of Justice’s (DOJ) take on MO1 and the kleptocracy that led moderate Malays to question Umno's lies of ‘no wrongdoing’ that has led us to this juncture.

If Najib has nothing to hide, he should have come clean from day one when he got the so-called RM2.6 billion ‘donation’. As it stands, he has a lot of explaining to do.

Albert Ponniah: I would have preferred Sarawak Report editor Clare Rewcastle-Brown keep away from the SRC International court hearings. Her public service is appreciated, but her presence is a disservice to the temperature in Malaysia.

Let the courts handle the case. She should not have appeared in court, and should know when to lay low. Sharing her thoughts of the case disturbs local sentiments and it is not helpful to the prosecution.

Rewcastle-Brown may like to be seen as satisfied with the outcome of her investigation, but her disenchantment is too overt for Malaysian affairs, and could be used by the accused in trying to unmake this most serious matter.

Thank you, Rewcastle-Brown, but kindly don't give excuses to Najib sympathisers to use you to detract from the real issue.

Bobster: From prime minister to prime suspect. They are really a gang of robbers with no shame. And please don't use race and religion to cover up such a robbery.

AG's opening statement: It is my duty and privilege…

VGeorgeMy: Attorney-general Tommy Thomas’ opening statement will be recorded as the most powerful statement ever recorded in the court of law siding with the common people of this beloved nation. God bless Malaysia.

Clever Voter: Beyond the race and religion rhetoric, Thomas has risen above all to put in place a team and process to get the action done.

It takes guts and courage. We can wish him and his team well.

Compared to the sodomy trials of PKR president Anwar Ibrahim years ago, this seems the right thing to do. It augurs well for the country's future.

GalaxyM: We salute you, Thomas, in discharging your duties to prosecute the alleged crook of the century.

Meanwhile, his predecessor Mohamed Apandi Ali should be shamed and humiliated for his unforgivable and unpardonable crime of colluding with the alleged crook, and declaring him innocent and not guilty of any wrongdoing.

Unspin: It is indeed a privilege for Thomas and his prosecution team.

Except for a handful of cases in Latin America, Africa and East Asia, very few corrupt country leaders get prosecuted. Najib will forever go down in history as one of those leaders who have that ‘privilege’.

In fact, when all is done and dusted, he could prove to be a world champion in kleptocracy.

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