Britain will never humiliate Najib

Britain’s economy is in the doldrums so when Najib touts for business between the two countries, he is welcomed.

COMMENT

The United Kingdom expelled the remaining Libyan diplomats from the London Embassy on July 27, but it had little to do with democracy despite the British claims.

The announcement was more a calculated move to protect British interests in Libyan oil and minerals. Plus the fact that the EU, including Britain, found that Muammar Gaddafi was a good repeat customer for arms.

Hopeful Malaysians thinking that Britain would mete out the same treatment to Prime Minister Najib Tun Razak should desist from harbouring such thoughts.

Britain will never humiliate Najib. After the red carpet treatment and the various receptions at Mansion House, Downing Street and Buckingham Palace, Najib is practically the “golden boy” of the Far East.

Malaysians yearning for a democratic Malaysia will be searching for parallels with the Libyan people. There are many.

The Libyans have had 42 years of tyranny under Gaddafi; we had 54 years of Umno-BN. Gaddafi is famed for his tent meetings where leaders glorify him. His portrait is draped over buildings and in public places. No one dares to criticise him in public.

It is no different for Malaysians. Any dissenting voices are silenced with our draconian laws. Najib’s lieutenants distinguish themselves by singing praises in public about him. Didn’t Pahang Menteri Besar Adnan Yaakob claim that he could mobilise three million people to support Najib on Facebook?

When Najib returned from Europe last week, having cut short his vacation, thousands turned up at the airport to welcome him.

The more intellectually challenged in this crowd thought Najib was magnanimous. If they cared to think a bit deeper, Najib was panicking about William Bourdon’s visit, the French lawyer who was in Malaysia to lecture about the Scorpene scandal. Najib subsequently deported Bourdon.

Nevertheless, it is common knowledge that the busloads of people greeting Najib are handsomely rewarded for their efforts.

Another similarity between Libya and Malaysia are the personal links the two leaders have with western nations. Gaddafi’s son, Saif, graduated from the London School of Economics and is closely linked to rich and powerful people in Europe and America.

In a British government trade and investment guide, Najib is described as an economics graduate from UK and someone whose rule is transparent – mere window-dressing to attract investors. There is no mention of Malaysia’s human rights abuses.

The driving force

One critical similarity between Libya and Malaysia is the rejection of the democratic ideals of their people by the two leaders. Gaddafi’s response to pro-democracy marchers has been particularly brutal, leaving hundreds of civilians dead.

The Malaysian government’s response towards its own pro-democracy march has been violent though not with the same brutality as Libya’s.

The repression of the Bersih 2.0 marchers has been condemned worldwide. Najib has brushed these concerns aside and claimed that the march was illegal, that there was a communist plot to topple the King and that the police were provoked. He stressed Malaysian elections were clean.

British Prime Minister David Cameron would be naïve to believe these excuses. However, any Malaysian who thinks Britain will intervene on our behalf will be disappointed. The driving force is trade and economy.

Britain’s economy is in the doldrums so when Najib touts for business between the two countries, he is welcomed. Libya, just like Egypt, procured arms on a large scale from Britain. Malaysia is no different.

The Brits would not risk Najib shopping elsewhere. Might there be a slim chance France is prepared to drop all charges in the Scorpene scandal provided Najib purchases French armaments? Who knows.

Any western government would be foolish to refuse a repeat arms buyer. Defence Minister Ahmad Zahid Hamid has already hinted at purchasing 10 Eurofighters. In the end, money talks.

Cameron might have discussed Bersih 2.0 with Najib. But Malaysians who think that Najib’s scheduled lunch with the British PM was cancelled because of Najib’s handling of Bersih are wrong.

Cameron had more pressing issues, like the phone-hacking scandal, which has already claimed the Metropolitan Police Commissioner.

The crucial difference between the two prime ministers is that the press baron, Rupert Murdoch, whose publications were intimately involved in the phone hacking, controls the UK politicians. Back home, Najib controls the press.

But the more important reason for Najib to be entertained by UK is because Malaysia is seen as a moderate Muslim nation. Any seasoned journalist or NGO from Britain shares this opinion.

Image and spin

Unsettling news about Malaysia is hardly published in the British press. Not unless it is sensational news, like Princess Manohara’s abuse or the Obedient Wives Club’s aims.

Western nations find Malaysia a useful ally when it comes to fighting Islamic extremists on the world arena. Malaysia is considered a peaceful, idyllic moderate Muslim nation – no suicide bombers or kidnapping of western journalists. Perhaps this rôle model status is the reason for western governments closing one eye to BN’s autocratic rule.

Any Malaysian yearning for democratic reform must realise that change has to come from within the nation. It cannot and must not be engineered by western powers.

Malaysians living abroad and desirous of change must keep up the pressure and momentum to create awareness in the peoples and the governments of their adopted countries.

The recent protests by Malaysians in Britain highlighted, to the ordinary Brits, that Malaysia is nothing like the tourist brochure descriptions. There is no freedom of expression, freedom of the press or freedom to demonstrate peacefully.

Najib is particular about image and spin. Despite the seemingly warm welcome by his British hosts, Malaysians in London protested against Najib’s crackdown on civil liberties at home.

Dressed in yellow and singing “Yellow Submarine”, these Malaysians popped up wherever Najib had an official function in London.

With a dented and deflated ego, Najib was furious. More importantly, Brits started questioning human rights abuses in Malaysia and other injustices.

Najib’s obsession with his image takes precedence over the mechanics of proper governance.

Only a puerile leader is consumed with empty soundbites and meaningless anagrams. All of which are futile when politicians and civil servants are not made accountable for their actions.

Mariam Mokhtar is an FMT columnist.