"ARREST TAIB!" ~ NGOs CALL FOR ACTION

Posted Monday, December 12th, 2011

In a dramatic move, a group of NGOs have today called on the Malaysian Attorney General and the Inspector General of Police to arrest Abdul Taib Mahmud.

A letter drawn up by the Bruno Manser Fund and signed by a number of Malaysian and international NGOs, including Greenpeace, requests “the immediate arrest and criminal prosecution” of Taib, along with 13 family members, whom it names as “co-conspirators in the illegal appropriation of public funds.”

The demand represents the culmination of evidence against the Chief Minister, who is now internationally recognised as one of the world’s most corrupted leaders and as being personally responsible for much of the destruction of the Borneo jungle. [For full text visit stop-timber-corruption.org]

Plain evidence

The letter makes clear that so much evidence about the corruption of Taib and his family members is now publicly available that it is no longer acceptable to leave the matter with the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC), which announced an investigation into the Chief Minister last year.

The letter says:

“We firmly believe that it is not enough for the MACC to announce a public investigation and immediate police action should be taken. Ample evidence of Mr Taib’s and his co-conspirators’ offenses is available, and the above-mentioned suspects might use their remaining time in freedom to destroy evidence, to intimidate possible witnesses and to transfer their substantial illicit assets out of the country.”

[Read the full story at Sarawak Report]

We all know, of course, that Taib Mahmud is by no means the only BN robber baron that must be arrested immediately. If we had more fearless and independent investigative reporters like Clare Rewcastle Brown on the job, I'm sure Najib Razak and his entire corrupt cabinet would also be on the list. Thanks to the incurable Dr M, however, every state institution has been subsumed into obsequious service of the corrupt BN regime - especially the Attorney General and the Polis Di Raja Malaysia. Which leaves it to us, the people, to make citizens' arrest a new form of national service. The next time you see BN ministers on the street, don't shake their hand - just handcuff them. If you don't have handcuffs handy, just point your bone at them (they will fade quietly away).