Media Statement
I refer to the recent comments by DS Shabery Chik stating that the US Whitehouse ‘We the People’ petition mix up is the first step to US intervention in our domestic affairs.
Such comments are merely a belated effort to downplay the fact that the UMNO backed counter petition to John Mallot’s earlier Free Anwar petition was declared to be made up of more then 60,000 false signatures out of almost 72,000 registered on the Whitehouse website.
Meanwhile, the Free Anwar petition which was taken down and later reinstated has surpassed the 100,000 signature mark needed for President Obama to respond.
Any response by any Head of Government on our so called domestic issue is and always been an accepted international practice when any miscarriage of justice or tyranny is done. We only need to refer to Malaysia’s comments against South Africa’ apartheid policy in the 1970s, our continuous comments against Israel over Palestine, our condemnation of Syria’s Assad regime; as well as criticism against the US itself for Guantanamo Bay related atrocities, and many more.
However, what is overlooked in the the Whitehouse Petition is the commendable format for any citizen or individual to raise any issues; subject to collecting sufficient signatures to merit response from the President. Such an avenue created is a worthwhile democratic right.
Therefore, I call upon our Prime Minister Najib to establish a similar democratic mechanism for ‘We the Rakyat’ to raise any issues with at least 10,000 signatures (as we are smaller than the US) for our Premier to respond to.
If the PMO has any budgetary constraints, then I am sure 1MDB can allocate some of its CSR contributions to manage it; or turn to crowd-sourcing from the rakyat.
Nurul Izzah Anwar
MP Lembah Pantai
KEADILAN, Vice President & Election Director
