New anti-Najib citizens’ group to oppose Dr M-led efforts

KUALA LUMPUR, March 11 — A new group that wants Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak ousted will be meeting tomorrow to voice their objections against former prime minister Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad’s leadership of a similar movement.

Activist Badrul Hisham Shaharin, popularly known as Chegubard, said the “People’s Expression Night” event will see citizens gathering to voice their concerns.

“We will have more than 15 individuals speaking tomorrow that will reject efforts to use Dr Mahathir to lead reforms in this country.

“Not just politicians or from NGOs, but most importantly from several sectors — we have undergraduates, taxi drivers, hawkers, factory workers, housewives, students and many more,” the leader of the Solidariti Anak Muda Malaysia (SAMM) group told Malay Mail Online when contacted.

“Our main concern is that the country is in a crisis, but we do not want Dr Mahathir to lead a movement for national reform. Our main concern is why we need Dr Mahathir — Dr Mahathir, Mukhriz, Muhyiddin are part of the country’s destruction,” he claimed.

Former Kedah mentri besar Datuk Seri Mukhriz Mahathir and former deputy prime minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin are both Umno leaders.

Last Friday, Dr Mahathir and over 40 BN veterans, opposition leaders and human rights activists came together to sign a Citizens’ Declaration to campaign for Najib’s removal, with the group now renamed the Save Malaysia movement and aiming to get hundreds of thousands to add on their signatures.

Chegubard said the event at 8pm tomorrow at the Kuala Lumpur and Selangor Chinese Assembly Hall (KLSCAH) is organised by nine groups including SAMM, Otai Reformasi and undergraduate groups.

He said the name of the collective group is expected to be unveiled tomorrow, adding that it will set up a secretariat and is mulling a tour of the country to similarly provide a platform for Malaysians in other states to express their opinions.

“We are not a coalition, we are not a new group, we just set up a platform for people to express hope and give warning to political leaders that use the people’s name, don’t simply make your own declaration and bring Dr Mahathir as your leader,” he said, adding that it has found support from federal opposition Pakatan Harapan leaders.

He said his group would not weaken efforts to remove Najib, but said it would go beyond that to also seek the fall of the ruling Barisan Nasional coalition.

“We complement and strengthen the movement, because we also want Malaysia to be saved, but we don’t want to only bring down Najib, but without opposing Barisan Nasional,” he said.

The group will not be coming up with its own declaration, but will summarise the views of citizens for the benefit of senior political leaders in the country, he said. 

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