Najib yields carrot and wields stick
Will we still be euphoric, after the elections, when Najib tells us that there are more pressing issues to deal with, than the repeal of the ISA?
Almost overnight, Prime minister Najib Tun Razak told the Malay community that they could no longer rely on the government to be successful.
He said: “ Don’t just talk about rights. What is more important is what are we doing to do (sic) with the political power we have now through Umno. What are we doing to do to (sic) increase our wealth?”
Yesterday, he urged the Malays to gain success by using their strengths and capabilities, and to adapt to a differing landscape in the global environment.
He said, “If Malays want to be a dignified race, they cannot hide behind (government) protection, we have to be brave and have faith in ourselves because we have our (own) advantages, our capabilities.
“If we depend on protection, it cannot guarantee survival”.
So has Najib finally relented and is he prepared to abandon the years of mis-rule perpetuated by former prime minister Dr Mahathir Mohamad where the Malays were treated with kid gloves and given special dispensation by the government?
Is it now time for the carrot to be withdrawn and is Najib prepared to wield this stick? Will he finally spearhead the change with discipline, rule of law and responsibility?
Has Najib finally been convinced by the argument of the rakyat and the opposition that we have to face up to the many problems caused by years of mis-government?
How long has the alternative media been highlighting the lack of equality and the steady erosion of individual rights? Can it also be true that Najib has finally acknowledged the growing resentment amongst the non-Malays?
Perhaps, Najib should be made aware that it is his Umno-putra Malays who have enjoyed special treatment and it is they who have been stripped of all self-respect and dignity.
When the stories about electoral fraud became headline news, BN was shamed and the PM’s credibility took a battering.
Najib’s image was further dented overseas, when it was revealed that several media companies had been paid millions from the public purse to churn out lies to improve the image of the PM and Malaysia.
Getting closer to the people
So, in order to counteract the bad news, Najib and his spin-doctors came out with several make-overs for the PM.
The Malaysian public, an ever gullible lot, are just as Mahathir once described them in condescending tones – “Melayu mudah lupa”.
To pacify the Malaysians, Najib told us what he knew we wanted to hear. And fools that we are, we became orgasmic when Najib announced that he would repeal the ISA. We failed to note that it was only a proposal which would have to be tabled in parliament and then approved.
Two new laws would replace the ISA but we seem to attach no significance to these. Did we bother to press Najib on these new laws? Or are we content to simply “wait-and see”?
In another surreal act, Najib and his wife travelled by bus, in Perak, to get “closer to the people”. Any good work that Najib did at the time was swiftly undone when he said that he enjoyed his first bus ride. This is the man who said he was in touch with the common people.
Najib has been heard DJ-ing on radio and also been seen riding a bike. His attempts to look cool are viewed with derision. The man and his self-styled “First Lady” should really act their age and not embarrass themselves and the country, with their attempts to look cool.
When he appeared at the Suara Kami concert, Najib mistook the crowd’s excitement for a rousing welcome. Little did he realise that the audience wanted him to leave the stage quickly so that they could enjoy their favourite artistes.
We are excited by “Najib the reformer” but will we still be euphoric, after the elections, when Najib tells us that there are more pressing issues to deal with, than the repeal of the ISA? Will he inform us then that the Malay quota need not be diminished just yet?
The Star reported the Economist’s description of Najib as “The man with a plan”. Why is it that he has not told us anything about the two new laws to replace the ISA? It does not look like this PM has any plan whatever.
The New Statesman of London said that Najib deserved applause for his bravery. The Bersih supporters might wish to know what was so brave about ordering armed police to attack the peaceful Bersih marchers.
The Financial Times called Najib a “reforming prime minister” in its piece entitled “Najib: Malaysia’s Born-Again Liberal.” Najib is not a liberal or anything like that. He curbs people’s liberty and he trumpets change only because he is desperate for votes.
Former PM, Abdullah Ahmad Badawi knows a thing or two about the Malaysian public.
When asked to comment on the opposition’s stance on the hudud laws, he said, “I won’t be surprised if the whole thing is forgotten after the election. People know it’s just talk, not serious.”
Perhaps, Abdullah’s comments could just as easily apply to Najib and his so-called reforms. It is highly likely, he was also referring to Najib.
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