Najib’s not indispensable

Why should Malaysians' take up Najib's offer to judge him on his ideas and track records when he is cultured in the same Umno mold?

COMMENT

Najib Tun Razak cares more about himself than he does Umno. Hence his recent call to Malaysians to “judge me on my ideas and track record”.

Personally speaking, Najib is asking for trouble. This is the very thing that former premier Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad and his then economic adviser Daim Zainuddin fear most.

Daim once told me that Najib “failed to understand the nature of Umno’s existence”.

Umno does not depend on one individual. When Onn Jaafar left Umno, the party continued under Tunku Abdul Rahman.

When Tunku was removed by a palace coup, Umno continued under the leadership of the man who was behind the removal – Tun Razak.

Then when Tun Razak died, Umno continued under the straight arrow Hussein Onn.

When Hussein left, the party was led by the man who can walk on water – Dr Mahathir. But even he was not indispensable.

Mahathir was later succeeded by Rip Van Winkle (Abdullah Badawi) who was then removed by another palace coup initiated by the son of the man who started the first palace coup (read: Najib).

The present PM was aided and abetted by the man from Pagoh (read: Muhyiddin Yasin).

Najib’s not indispensable

So, if Najib knows Umno history, he will know that it was never about the Umno president. And it will also never be.

Whether or not we judge him on his record and his ‘ideas’ – Najib will still go on to win.

We want him to win so that he enters the 13th Parliament replacing Anwar Ibrahim as the Opposition Leader. Then we will know what mettle is Najib made of.

The Umno president is not indispensable. So why is he asking the people to judge him on his ideas and track record?

What about Umno’s track record? This would be a dangerous question because he knows Umno is rotten to the core.

That epitaph by the way was given by Mahathir, the man who will be credited largely for sowing the seeds of destruction within Umno.

Mahathir said all the smart people have left Umno. They have joined PAS, PKR and DAP.

So only the riff-raffs remain in Umno and that is also a reason for Najib asking the people to judge him alone.

Why must we judge him? He is after all cultured in the same Umno mold.

If he hasn’t found the way to lead the nation since 1976 when he was given the Pekan MP seat, why should we, the people, believe that he has found some new political aphrodisiac to viagra the nation?

Backtracked on 1Malaysia

It’s all Apco (public relation consultancy) inspired bull which Najib takes to like a duck takes to water.

The fact is all his ideas are rejected by his Umno people. He is as such a general who has no soldiers nor second in commands.

Two years ago, he was humiliated at the Umno General Assembly. But you know Najib, he will maintain his cool exterior even when its hot.

He won’t say anything but his other features will show he is under tremendous pressure.

When he was selling the idea of 1Malaysia, the Umno delegates insisted on the Malay first approach.

Since then Najib has backtracked and postured himself as more Malay than other Malays. He is the 1Malay.

But that is for the consumption of his Malay audience.

His 1Malaysia slogan is effectively used to shuffle his non-Malay audience into showing that he is an inclusive man.

The non-Malays are better off being circumspect about Najib’s real political motives.

Najib’s only claim is ‘lineage’

Why should the Malays be asked to place a higher value when Umno befriends MCA (a Chinese party) but are berated when they are learning to accept DAP (a Chinese dominated but not wholly Chinese party).

Which party is more racist? MCA or DAP?

When Najib spoke about his New Economic Model (NEM), the Umno delegates insisted on a Dasar Economic Baru (DEB)-like economic policy.

In the end, all Najib could say is that he is Tun Razak’s son. That, no one can dispute.

But when somebody has nothing to offer in his defense but a claim to lineage, the what can we judge him on?

We should be judging Umno not the Umno president. He is not an island. No man is.

Mohd Ariff Sabri Aziz is a former Umno assemblyman and is now a DAP member. He is a FMT columnist.