GEORGE TOWN: Address the inglorious present and not the glorious past. This was former senior DAP leader Dr P. Ramasamy's terse message to his former party.
Ramasamy questioned the rationale of DAP secretary-general Anthony Loke saying that DAP would never forget its stand on the IMDB corruption scandal in the past, yet maintaining a deafening silence in the partial pardon granted to former prime minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak.
It was reported that the Federal Territories Pardons Board had reduced Najib's fine as well as halved his 12-year jail term to six.
This meant that the former prime minister would be released from prison on Aug 23, 2028.
"It is this inconsistency on the part of the leadership that baffles the public.
"In the past, the DAP went after those who were corrupted, especially Najib, as though it was mandated by heaven. However the DAP and others might remember the past, but unfortunately the 'glorious past' cannot be invoked to express the present.
"It is this disconnect between the past and the present that exposes the hypocrisy of the party — one synonymous with the fight against graft.
"This is why DAP members and others are disappointed that the DAP that took such a strong stand against the 1MDB corruption scandal, in general, and against Najib, in particular, and now refuses to take a critical stand towards the partial pardon granted to Najib," he said today.
Ramasamy asked what was the use of the party and its leaders fighting tooth and nail against the perpetrators of the 1MDB scandal, leading to the ouster of the Barisan Nasional government in 2018, but now maintain a deafening silence in the face of a partial pardon granted to Najib.
The past, he said, could be invoked by the DAP leaders if it made sense in explaining the present.
"The past cannot be mechanically invoked without explaining the present, especially when there is sharp contradiction.
"It is not the past we are talking about but the present in reference to Najib's reduced sentence and why the DAP that was once part of the vanguard against corruption has given up its principles," he added.
According to Ramasamy, the reduction of Najib's sentence went against all norms of justice and judicial independence.
He said it was an example of how the executive rode a roughshod over the judiciary.
"The question is where are the checks and balances, the DAP leaders once religiously spoke about.
"Those who 'tore' their mouths to oppose and condemn Najib should have opposed the reduction of the sentence.
"It is not necessary to school the DAP leaders about what constitutes justice and injustice. The question is why the DAP leaders are silent on the Pardons Board decision? Is it because the sentence was acceptable and fair? Or is it because Najib needed the reduction on compassionate grounds?
"DAP leaders like Loke cannot talk about the past glory, yet maintain a guarded silence on what was meted out to Najib," he said, asking Loke if he agreed with the reduction of Najib's sentence.
Ramasamy also asked why Loke was keeping mum on the matter.
"Who is he afraid of? Is this the way to take the party to greater heights?
"There is only one reason that I can think of as to why the DAP leaders are maintaining a deafening silence on the reduction of Najib's sentence.
"This has got to with party leaders not wanting to upset the Umno leadership and Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim in particular. It is this cosy and comfortable relationship that the DAP doesn't want to upset.
"This means that the party has given up all its pretensions of being a principled party with the interests of the larger Malaysian society".