‘PM Najib’s apology is not genuine’

Prime Minister Najib Tun Razak 'looks alone' with his apology and attempt to change Umno.

PETALING JAYA: Prime Minister Najib Tun Razak’s public apology to Malaysians over Barisan Nasional’s failures towards its people rings hollow and is merely an attempt by Umno to cling on to power, said Senator S Ramakrishnan.

Describing the apology as ‘not genuine’, he said Najib was looking ‘alone’ in his attempt to change Umno and that the party’s ‘little Napoleons’ were uncomfortable with his apology.

He said that Umno was also, amidst its discomfort, making a public relations exercise out of Najib’s apology.

“This makes the apology not genuine. After 2008 and especially after the appointment of Najib, the actions and words of Umno do not show any semblance of change for the better.

“Najib looks lonely in his attempt to change Umno. Can he (Najib) reform Umno from its entrenched racism, nepotism and corruption?, asked the DAP senator.

“Umno’s reaction to the 2008 general election losses was that the public have made grave mistakes in supporting Pakatan Rakyat and that Umno will hold on to power by any means.

“They were desperate and their inherent character of racial intolerance, corruption and nepotism started rearing their ugly heads.

“Change must come from the collective leadership and not just the top leader to be meaningful and effective”, explained Ramakrishnan referring to Kedah Umno information chief Jamil Khir Baharom’s dismissal of the PM’s apology.

Jamil had said that the apology gave Malaysians the impression that BN lost (in the 2008 polls) due to its own mistakes.

Najib’s deputy Muhyiddin Yassin had also trivialised Najib’s apology to Malaysians, claiming the country had made huge progress in the fields of socio-economy, culture, education, international relations and various others.

Umno’s discomfort

And to further add salt to injury Umno’s information chief Ahmad Maslan told Malaysians that BN (vis-a-vis Umno) would need a two-thirds majority to ‘fix its mistakes’.

“Looks like Umno’s little Napoleons cannot accept Najib’s open apology.

“Umno doesn’t know the meaning of apology. Najib’s transformation programs launched with high hopes have not yielded the desired outcome.

“The civil service is still inefficient and unable to improve the delivery mechanism.

“The Umno-backed bureaucrats are not zealous over the various transformational programs initiated by Pemandu.

“Hundreds of millions have been spent with little to show as achievements,” he said in a statement to FMT.

Ramakrishnan also pointed out that despite reports and claims of investigations “MACC, the police and the Attorney General’s office have not brought any charges against the alleged wrongdoers of National Feedlot Corporation (NFC) fiasco.”

Najib must earn people’s trust

He said there was still “no open tender” in the awards of government contracts and billions of ringgit in taxpayers money was still being siphoned out from government coffers.

“Racial marginalization is as rampant as before 2008. So what is the use of apology without any improvement in the implementation, checks and balance in civil service?” asked Ramakrishnan.

Ramakrishnan, who is also a Selangor DAP committee member, said Malaysians will trust Najib only if projects such as Lynas in Gebeng and the 1Care health scheme are scrapped. The premier must also find a lasting solution to curb stagnated salaries, brain drain and rising cost of living.