‘Under pressure’ Najib cancels family vacation

The premier cancels a family vacation because he wants to spend more time with Malaysians, signalling that all may not be well in Putrajaya.

SEPANG: The Malaysian political landscape is experiencing a series of tremors and with numerous conspiracy theories and speculations being churned out, some predict that an earthquake is imminent.

As for Prime Minister Najib Tun Razak, things started to roll downhill since July 9, when tens of thousands of Malaysians took to the streets to push for free and fair elections.

Observers claimed that the nation’s sixth premier, who had vowed to recapture Barisan Nasional’s glory following its 2008 electoral bruising, is now under tremendous pressure, and it is not coming from the opposition alone.

Speculation is rife that the daggers are out for Najib in Umno itself, and adding to the woes is the party veteran Tengku Razaleigh Hamzah’s newly launched outfit, Angkatan Amanah Rakyat, whose true objectives remain vague.

The iron-fist response towards the Bersih 2.0 rally soiled Najib’s image both here and abroad, and under this cloud of political gloom, the premier returned home this morning following a working visit to three countries, which also saw him visiting the Vatican.

When he touched down at KLIA, Najib added more coal to the burning speculation that all was not well in Putrajaya when he revealed that he had cancelled a family holiday to be with the people.

“I told my family I felt that I should return to Malaysia and that I was prepared to forgo the holiday for the sake of Malaysians back home,” he was quoted as saying by Bernama.

According to the national news agency, Najib was greeted by some 3,000 people, including his deputy Muhyiddin Yassin and his cousin, Home Minister Hishammuddin Hussein.

There was also a banner unfurled at the airport bearing the signatures of “1.2 million Malaysians” backing his leadership. The campaign was initiated by the Malaysian Indian Muslim Congress (Kimma), an associate member of Umno.

‘They want to topple the government’

Najib said he informed Muhyiddin that it was important that both of them and the other ministers as well to go down to the ground to meet the people.

“We have to meet the people. We have to tell them that they can depend on the Barisan Nasional government, that BN is their best choice,” he said.

Najib also thanked his wife Rosmah Mansor and their children for understanding the need to cancel the holiday.

Meanwhile, another report quoted the prime minister of reiterating his charge that Bersih 2.0 was attempting to topple his government through street rallies under the guise of calling for electoral reforms.

Dismissing the claim that the Election Comission tips the scales in BN’s favour during polls, Najib said: “We have never cheated in an election.”

According to him, the rallies were not about reforms but rather to create the impression that his administration was autocratic.