THE WOLF SHOULD LEAD THE PACK: PKR joins Ku Li's call to Najib to declare assets

KUALA LUMPUR - PKR leaders joined the call by Umno veteran Tengku Razaleigh to Prime Minister Najib Razak to set an example and declare all his assets if he was serious about rooting out corruption, cronyism and nepotism.
"Well, the wolf should always lead his pack," Nurul Izzah, the MP for Lembah Pantai told Malaysia Chronicle."
"Bravo for the brave suggestion from Tengku Razaleigh. It is the obvious and logical step to take if Najib really wants to prove he does not possess the billions that he and Rosmah are said to have collected along the way. The stories that have gone round town about their wealth accumulation over the past 5 years are simply astounding. Najib should therefore seize this opportunity to clear his name and make the Cabinet do the same," MP for Wangsa Maju Tan Kee Kwong told Malaysia Chronicle.
No stronger signal but is it too late - has Najib reached the peak of corruption?

Nurul and Kee Kwong were echoed by their colleagues, Chua Jui Meng, the PKR vice president and Johor chief, and Tian Chua, the MP for Batu.
"No signal can be stronger coming from Najib, simply because he is the PM. So what he does counts. If he is dirty, then all the rest in Umno-BN will also be tainted. Why should they be good when the boss is not? So we hope that Najib will take up Ku Li's challenge and not bury his head in the sand especially when his children are now in the news with their business deals. Don't let people say that now the general election is over, he and Umno have gone back to their bad ways and it is business as usual, free-for-all corruption in the country," Jui Meng told Malaysia Chronicle.
"Since he talked big about a corruption-free society, which is a worthy ideal to pursue, then he must go all out to make it come true. He must start the ball rolling and show the way by declaring his own assets. That is the gauge of how serious and sincere he is in this issue. If he falters, then it shows he is publicly lying to the people. It means he has reached the highest level or the pinnacle of the corruption pyramid, where the decadence is not only money-based, but morally, ethically and principally," Tian Chua told Malaysia Chronicle.
Gua Musang MP Tengku Razaleigh or Ku Li had asked Najib to lead the way for all politicians, both past and present, to declare their assets, including those of trustees and nominees. Both men come from the Umno party, which has ruled Malaysia since 1957.
"Let's be honest; the pilfering and wastage of natural resources is intolerable. It is time to face reality, the rakyat are fed up of corruption, cronyism and nepotism."Ku Li was reported as saying at an economic roundtable organized by the Institute of Strategic and International Studies on Thursday.
"All ministers, including past prime ministers, must make a declaration of their assets along with those who have been named as trustees and nominees."
How the sons can suddenly become so rich
However, Najib is unlikely to live up to the challenge and is bound to gloss over it with some excuse or other, said his critics. They also pointed at previous instances where Najib had deliberately swept the issue of declaring assets under the carpet when asked by transparency groups and activists.
"This time, the call is coming from a senior member of his own Umno party. So this different, this is very 'spicy'. Najib can ignore but it will only add to the people's belief that he is not clean. Even his own party mates are doubtful and want him to prove he doesn't have billions salted away," said Tian.
Just days ago, the Malaysian stock market was lifted by news that Najib's son, Nazifuddin, had bought a 20% stake in a small paint manufacturer. This is ot the first time the ambitious Nazifuddin has waded into the Malaysian bourse, targeting the small stocks that are easy to move.
As in the past, Najib has refused to make any comment on his son's role in business and whether the 28-year-old millionaire had made his money on his own steam or had been 'guided' by cronies in exchange for a helping hand from dad Najib.
Another Umno stalwart whose son is also in the news over a lucrative deal is former premier Mahathir Mohamad, who son Mohkzani is reportedly in the midst of sewing up the takeover of oil and gas storage provider Petrol One Resources.
Many Malaysians remember how Mohkzani was merely an average entrepreneur in 1990s, yet in recent years he has mysteriously been able to propel himself into the Forbes list of the world's richest.  According to the magazine, Mokhzani is Malaysia’s 15th richest man with a fortune of US$980 million (RM3.2 billion).
Sharp pullback inevitable
It may be shocking but that's how the cookie has been crumbling in Malaysia, where corruption and racism are the two main killers of the economy.
However with little funds left in the national coffers to pump-prime the economy and as the United States prepares to raise interest rates, a sharp economic pullback is inevitable in Malaysia.
Ku Li also warned that to keep putting off reform would only make it easier for the Opposition to gain the upper hand at the next general election, which must be held latest by 2018.
In the recently-concluded 13th general election, Najib's Umno-BN coalition ceded a further 7 seats at the federal Parliament to Opposition Leader Anwar Ibrahim's Pakatan Rakyat. Umno-BN won only 133 out of the 222 seats that were up for grabs.
"There is nothing to prevent a change of government; there is massive unemployment involving fresh graduates and also high cost of living in the urban areas," said Ku Li.
Malaysia Chronicle