KUALA LUMPUR – Datuk Seri Abdul Azeez Abdul Rahim’s (Baling-BN) outburst against Pakatan Harapan (PH) MPs in the lower house today has garnered him more than what he bargained for when his own invective was used against him.
Debating on the anti-party hopping bill today, Datuk Seri Saifuddin Nasution Ismail (Kulim-Bandar Baharu-PH) took Azeez to task for not reprimanding his former party boss Datuk Seri Najib Razak (Pekan-BN) over allegations surrounding 1Malaysia Development Berhad (1MDB).
Saifuddin said it is rich of Azeez to call out PH lawmakers for not voicing out against Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad (Langkawi-Pejuang) for allowing the collapse of the then PH-led government, when he himself did not do the same in calling out against Najib, his own former superior in Umno and also former prime minister.
“Because Baling was bold to reprimand, we see the effects of the 1MDB scandal which caused the people to reject Barisan Nasional (BN),” the PKR MP said, in a sarcastic manner.
“What was the elephant in the room at that time? What caused an ugly image to be plastered on the country, if not the 1MDB scandal?
“If Baling was determined and sincere in reprimanding Pekan, I believe that BN would still be the ruling government.”
In responding to Saifuddin’s snide remark, Azeez said that his PH counterpart is unacquainted with what had transpired.
Azeez: You don’t know. Pagoh (Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin) and Semporna (Datuk Seri Mohd Shafie Apdal) reprimanded (Najib).
Saifuddin: Pagoh and Semporna reprimanded and got sacked (from Umno). Baling did not get sacked because you did not do so.
Earlier, Azeez had blatantly called PH MPs cowards and pinned the blame solely on Dr Mahathir over what transpired during the political crisis in 2020 that saw Muhyiddin take power as prime minister.
In a fiery speech, he chided the PH MPs over how Dr Mahathir had chosen to relinquish his prime minister’s seat without first engaging with his PH cabinet – after supposedly losing majority support – which eventually led to massive defections from the coalition to see it lose its grip on Putrajaya. – The Vibes, July 28, 2022