Although Prime Minister Najib Razak is not the chief tenor in the opera, recently he tried to put in a command performance at the hallowed halls of Oxford.
With much flourish and panache, he gave a speech, albeit not a moving one, on the issue of 'moderation' and how Malaysia is the model nation that other nations should emulate in terms of practising non-extremist lifestyles that have enabled Malaysians to continue to enjoy peace, harmony, prosperity and progress.
Although Najib cannot be termed as a brilliant orator, unlike the late President John F Kennedy, he can sound quite convincing but only to those who are ignorant of what is going on in the Malaysianl political scene.
Thick-skinned talk
Najib's speech on moderation is in direct contrast to de-facto law minister Nazri Aziz's comment that no action is to be taken against Perkasa's Ibrahim Ali for vowing bloodshed if the Christians dared to challenge the Muslims in Malaysia. According to Nazri, those comments are the 'normal'.
Najib is either ignorant of what is going on back home or he is just steeling himself and closing an eye to the Malaysian reality, without issuing any reprimand to either Ibrahim Ali or Nazri.
Najib's speech in Oxford was crafted to pull wool over the eyes of the Malaysian students in UK and many may have believed in what he said just because he is the Prime Minister.
But that Najib can allow Nazri to make such statements without going unpunished shows that he is not in control of his people in UMNO or even his own Department. After all, Nazri is Minister in the PM's Department.
If Najib cannot control the rabble-rousers and the war-mongers in UMNO and his own government, how can he manage the nation and steer the nation out of the current economic malaise?
Weak leadership
Malaysia Chronicle spoke to PKR assemblyman for Seri Setia Nik Nazmi who said that, "BN has always been like this, say one thing and do another."
According to Nik, Najib's handling of the recent 'Christian-state' controversy also smacks of weak leadership. It shows he is unable to rein in Utusan Malaysia, the Umno-owned newspaper that started the entire ruckus with a false news report.
Due to the Utusan article that accused DAP and 8 Christian pastors of trying to replace Islam with Christianity as the official religion, Christians have been put in a tight spot.
Even the Church and DAP have to be alert as any 'careless' words could land them in hot soup and even detention under the Sedition Act or Internal Security Act. This would further complicate the situation. As the saying goes, discretion is the better part of valour.
"It is action that has to be taken against Nazri for being so irresponsible," Bukit Gantang MP Nizar Jamaluddin toldMalaysia Chronicle.
"While Najib talks about moderation, the people below him contradict his 1Malaysia slogan. The rakyat must not allow this to go on."
Who is controlling whom
By not taking any action against those who hijack his 1Malaysia slogan, is Najib losing the hold he has on his people in UMNO? Or is it deliberate and he is the mastermind behind it all.
It must be said that he seems to be helpless and swimming against the tide and his 1Malaysia slogan is just a 1-man show. Credit must be given where it is due and 1Malaysia is a good slogan if it is truly put into practice.
Sadly though, till now Najib lacks the will-power to really implement it other than shouting it out loud at official functions and saying 'satu, satu, satu' while the public responds with 'Malaysia' after each and every 'satu'.
The Malaysian ship is already veering off-course and Najib is no longer a credible captain. The logical question that begs to follow is, is Najib in control of UMNO or is UMNO controlling him?
In Malaysian slang, this situation can only be termed as 'susah kes', not only for Najib but also for the rakyat as well.
- Malaysia Chronicle
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