‘Najib’s Sabah functions stage-managed’

The immensely popular Stacy was kept to the last to get the crowd close to the stage just before Najib and his wife alighted from their car.

TUARAN: Prime Minister Naib Tun Razak’s three functions in Sabah yesterday were short on spontaneity but choreographed to every small detail.

There were flag waving, hoisting of banners and ordered rounds of applause and free eye examination with promises of glasses for those who need them.

In Tuaran yesterday, prior to Najib’s arrival at around 3pm, the deejays worked the 5,000 or so crowd, which local newspapers counted as 25,000, to stand and hoist the “I love PM” flyers when he entered.

It was a similar scene in Papar and Beaufort. Nothing was left to chance.

Local artistes like Asmin Mudin, Abu Bakar Ellah and Stacy, among others, were there to get the crowd in. The immensely popular Stacy was kept to the last to get the crowd close to the stage just before Najib and his wife Rosmah Mansor alighted from their car.

His arrival with VIPs in tow including Chief Minister Musa Aman was heralded with traditional gongs, kompangs and a lion dance.

“Saya datang hanya mahu tenguk Rosmah [I came only to see Rosmah],” said a Bajau man who quietly left the scene later without listening to any of the speeches. The function was to launch Sabah-level Nadi Kasih Programme that involves handing out RM5,000 to rehabilitate dilapidated houses.

A middle-aged Bajau woman said she was “satisfied and very happy” after she had a glimpse of the couple entering the event held at the Tuaran Town Padang here.

Another Dusun man displayed a video clip of himself at the event, saying: “I managed to shake hands with the prime minister while he was walking and that is quite an experience for me.”

Another local man, however, said he came to have a final look at Najib and his Rosmah. “Saya hanya mahu tenguk mereka buat kali terakhir [I only want to see them for the last time],” he said smiling.

Earlier in the day, a free eye examination was held at the vicinity. Free spectacles will be distributed in early March to those who need them, officials said.

At the Tuaran function, Najib delivered a relatively short speech criticising the opposition and its leaders without naming them.

Najib also used Sabahan’s slang like “buyuk” for tipu, and “tatap” for “tetap”.

“Saya nak lapor Beaufort dan Papar ‘tatap’ milik kita, ‘tatap’ BN,” he said to applause from the crowd. Even blue T-shirts with the words “Tatap BN” were being given out in Tuaran earlier.

“Pemimpin pembangkang hanya tahu ‘buyuk’, ‘buyuk’ dan ‘buyuk’ sahaja [the opposition leader only know to lie, lie and lie],” Najib said out loud.

Musa also hit at the opposition leaders, likening them to “saudagar ubat” or street medicine pedlars trying to sell their “medicines” to the people.

“But beware! the medicines of the opposition are not ‘mujarab’ [good]; in fact, they are ‘ubat mudarat’ [bad pills],” he said. Musa also mentioned similar points in his earlier speeches.