‘I will resign’: Nga Kor Ming says he will quit if Najib Razak is released after Johor elections

MALAYSIA: Housing and Local Government Minister and DAP deputy chairman Nga Kor Ming made it clear that he will be the first to quit the government if former prime minister Najib Razak is released from prison and walks free.

“If Najib is truly released today, acquitted, I will immediately be the first to quit,” Nga said in an exclusive interview with Oriental Daily.

DAP would also not rule out leaving the unity government altogether, he says.

Releasing Najib, he argued, would reduce Malaysia to what he called a “banana republic”.

His remarks come ahead of the Johor state polls, in which Barisan Nasional and Umno are given as favourites by some quarters. A big win for Najib’s party will increase pressure on Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim to free Najib.

Some BN and Umno leaders are openly saying Najib will be freed if they win in Johor.

Meanwhile, a DAP exit from Anwar’s ruling coalition would put even more pressure on the Prime Minister, as his party risks being a minority party in power.

The controversial minister also mentioned the 810-page written judgment by 1MDB trial judge Datuk Collin Lawrence, which described Najib’s greed as worse than that of Attila the Hun, a plunderer. 

“Najib’s actions have proven one thing: the debt falls on the next generation,” he said, adding that he will be retired by the time the debts accumulated by 1MDB are repaid.

“I’ll already be retired, and the debt still won’t be paid off,” Nga said. 

Nga’s threats did not sit well with Barisan Nasional deputy chairman Mohamad Hasan, who hit back, telling the DAP leader to resign immediately.

“I do not like to attack individuals. But if he keeps challenging us and says he wants to resign, then go ahead and resign immediately.

“In fact, we’ve been waiting for him to do so,” Mohamad said yesterday.

Mohamad also asked what the Johor election has to do with Datuk Seri Najib.

“They are completely different matters. One concerns the federal government, while the other concerns the state government. If BN wins in Johor, we will form the state government. The state government has nothing to do with federal affairs, so there’s no need to talk big,” Mohamad said.