Don't blew it this time, Najib

In the last cabinet appointment, we made a posting on an intended staff appointment by a senior member of the cabinet. While it changed his decision and our concern was genuine and sincere, we faced his personal displeasure for butting-in in an area that is to quote him, "my prerogative."

The cabinet appointment is Prime Minister Dato Najib Tun Abdul Razak's prerogative but we are ready to face his displeasure for butting-in.

If he failed to put in place a proper team with the integrity, credibility, and capability, he will only put Barisan Nasional on the path of the inevitable demise for the 14th General Election .

With Barisan Nasional's performance in the recent 13th General Election is far from satisfactory and did not put the coalition out of the wood, every step counts.

The cabinet appointment is very important in many aspect. 

Candidate list

One reason we believed for BN poor acceptance to the middle class Malay in the urban seats was the candidate list. Because of this, one of Najib's cousin personally confided to us to have voted PAS. 


There was too few new faces, only 30% and not the 50% that Najib promised. It gave the impression BN or in this case, UMNO did learn from the Tsunami of 2008.

Even among the 30%, there was a high number of recycled rejected faces. It was noticeable in Kelantan and Tan Sri Annuar Musa is a case in point.

UMNO management can explain that they have to stick to some kind of party hierarchy at the division level. That is relevant within the party circle but why should voters care?

Najib may have commendably been successful to regain Kedah, retain Perak and thwart off a US covert work to orchestratea regime change which was supported by European powers and our neighbouring US satellite states. 

Notice the on-going attempt to initiate an Arab Spring styled Malaysia Spring coup de tat using pre-planned and fabricated reasons.

Sabotage and Poor Machinery 

However, he failed in leading the retake of Selangor and his men leading the retake of Kelantan.

The reasons we see are candidate issue, poor ground machinery, and party disunity. UMNO members see a prevalent attempt to use the candidate list to strengthen certain interests for the UMNO party election.

Internal sabotage was so widespread that the majority of Independents in Semenanjung are disgruntled UMNO members reacting to the candidate list.

It is worsen by state party officials and Najib's own people involving themselves in sabotaging specific candidates.

A case in point is Dato Ibrahim Ali at Pasir Mas. For his nomination, Dato Mustapha Ali refused to put Ibrahim as BN candidate despite assurance given by Najib to Ibrahim. After the involvement of few Tuns and Tan Sri, Ibrahim was back on the candidate list.

But at the last three days campaign, the Kelantan mafia of Anuar Musa, Romzi, PM's political secretary, Dato Fahmi and others pressured To Pa and Hanafi (Pasir Mas UMNO Division head), Ibrahim and BN was sacrificed for personal power greed.

Why are they acting against the wishes of Najib?

Or is it Najib is not comfortable with Perkasa but does not have the guts and honesty to tell it in the face to Ibrahim? He wants Perkasa's support and energy but he does not want to commit money and candidate to Perkasa personalities.

Poor Advisers

Since Fahmi is mentioned, there were too many PM's political secretary running in the general election thus there was concern during the election as to who is assisting Najib.

Including the special officers, there were Shahlan (Pokok Sena), Latt Shariman (Kuala Kedah), Fahmi (Kota Baru), Sufian (Kuantan), Norehsanuddin (Kota Tinggi), Irmo (Kuala Selangor), and others; 7 all together.

Problem was they were mostly unwinnable candidate and pathetic campaigner. Some were  arrogant and carry an image of a perpetual troublemaker. Some are too urban and distance to be accepted to the locals. All that lost and most of them lost are amaterish and undisciplined campaigners.

No wonder Najib is getting bad political advises. They themselves are amateur politicians and merely flexing their PM's office position to gain position at the division. It shows that they are not dedicated to help the PM but was feathering their own nest.

Najib should not appoint them anymore. They left the PM in the lurch when they are most needed and have nothing to proof of their ability.

PM is not without blame.

It was relayed to us that when PM was going around the state to go over the candidate list, he was enquiring to ensure specific names to be on the list than trying to see the suitability of candidates.

Complacent  

Many candidates that failed police screening got into the list. Thanks to the State Liaison Chief or State Coordinator.

One state liaison chief inserted candidates with corruption and police record in state assembly seats in which he ran for Parliament. He was advised that it will pull him down but he was stubborn to put his man.

His was a case of a leader who refuse to have anyone cleverer under him. The clever ones can only be Senator. Don't think we are talking about Melaka only. There is also Terengganu.

When one is talking of candidate and the resulting effect of rejection from the ground and sabotage, the ultimate power and decision lies with PM. State liaison chief, state coordinator, component party president, and BN state chairman will all wash their hands and point at PM.  

The pathetic state of party political and campaign machinery should be blame at state and headquarter officials.

There are our friends but we will call a black a black and a white a white. UMNO should change the Secretary General, Executive Secretary and Information Chief. All were running for seats and no one was running for seats UMNO during the general election.   

The reason is complacency runs deep in UMNO, from top to bottom. UMNO members are generally uneducated and lack knowledge on politics and current affairs. Our political campaign on the ground lack substance, strategy and energy. Without big names presence, their campaign are aimless.  

What happen to the hundreds or if not, a thousand courses conducted and proudly claimed by Ahmad Maslan?  

Corruption

If Najib wish to salvage anything out of this mess and reinvigorate UMNO in preparing for the 14th general election, he has to put things right by making the right appointments.

Corruption is the factor that piss of the saloran 4 and 5 against government.

Whether perceived or confirmed by the courts, Najib cannot afford to have Jamaluddin Jarjis, Noh Omar, Khairy Jamaluddin, Reezal Merican, Nazri Aziz and many other tainted ones on the cabinet.

If Jamaluddin Jarjis and Noh Omar is retain, we will immediately do a full expose. On issue of corruption, we are committed to clean-up UMNO, opposition and country. No one will be spared - be they friends or foe, allies or enemy.

It will include the PM's wife that we justifiably defended in the past over frivolous and petty accusation by opposition.   

Najib had done the right thing to remove Nor Yakcop. He must continue to do so. 

Nor Yakcop maybe loyal to all the Prime Ministers he served and have some knowledge but he is tainted. Two of his political secretaries were charged in court for corruption or money laundering. Reezal was formerly working with Nor Yakcop.  

We believe he is corrupt. Why should we not believe when our source is his family member?

Economic growth 

Nor Yakcop single handedly wrecked the GLCs and alienate the civil servants. Najib should stop the practise started by Abdullah to bring in foreign consultants or Putrajaya seat is destined to lose.

Close up Pemandu and Teraju and give back the planning work to EPU and ICU. We did better without the Pemandu jokers.

Najib must get a more professional, innovative and dedicated people to steer the country's economy back to higher growth. No more template thinking consultants but real economic planner.

No more Idris Jala, Omar Ong and many others. The KPIs and all those abbreviation are mere numbers. The quality aspect are lacking.

Economic growth is only genuine when we are making more products and delivering more services to the domestic and abroad. Along the way, we build up local expertise, technological capabilities, and proprietary.

The economy is laden with too much financial play. Khazanah is the most guilty of them all. They are not creating anything of strategic value and even developing product or services.

Practically all their new ventures fail. They takeover companies at exorbitant prices and not at bargain to later add value. An example is the medical groups that was eventually listed away as Apollo. 

We smell a lot of rats in Khazanah. Najib must clean up this institution.

Gelang Patah has become a DAP stronghold but UEM could proudly announce during the campaign of the sales of land to Kuok Brother. Lim Kit Siang's centre for campaign is at Sutera Mall, which was developed by Kuok into a little Taiwan.

Clever Khazanah ....  

On this matter, property is a financial asset and developing properties is not serious attempt at developing the economy.

When we can't sell properties, especially high end ones, we ended up selling our homes, office and commercial areas to foreigners. Only the developer and industry get the one off benefit but not the rakyat and nation.

The focus to revive and bring high growth to the economy must be done seriously. Najib cannot afford to be PM and hold this position with voluminous work. He must appoint a full time Finance Minister. It cannot be him.

And the person to hold the position must be capable, honest and dedicated.  

Refused advise

Najib spend so much time and resources trying hard to please the Chinese to get the minimum 20-25% Chinese votes.

He was advised to stop being lavish to "buy" the Chinese support. Much earlier, Tun Dr Mahathir had advised to strengthen the Malay support.

But he refused to heed the many advises.

Although he helped quite a bit of Malays, the perception on Najib is that he is more akin to help the Chnese than the Malay.

Najib and his people can dispute but how will he answer when so many qualified Malay students are without scholarship and denied entry into Universities. The opposition realised this and used this issue to the hilt. We had no reply, other than being defensive, to convince the Saloran 4 and 5.

Entry into educational institution and scholarship is major ccomponent of the Special Bumiputera right in Article 153 of the Federal Constitution.


Najib is a good listener but he refuse to listen to advise. The impression is that he only listens to the Neo Liberal Omar Ong, Nazir Razak, Azman Mokhtar and many other lackeys from Tun Abdullah days. These people are in line with DAP and PKR to dismantle the Constitution and also article 153. 

This time it is the 80% Malay vote plus Indian and Pribumi of Sabah and Sarawak that gave back BN the power. Next time Najib may not be lucky.

N is the last alphabet in RAHMAN.

It could mean the end of BN with Najib written in history as last BN Prime Minister if Najib continues to ignore his power base. He is the PM to all, pro or oppose to Government but he does not have to give special and extraordinary treatment to those that do not support him.

Crime

Many Malays and law enforcement personnel felt that the Government are too lenient to the Chinese law offenders but strict and brutal on our own supporters. As Tan Sri Ibrahim Abu Shah pointed out last night in a TV talk program, government is too lenient on opposition too.

Papagomo was held for questioning on sedition but out there, opposition are not checked for their total disregard the law.

They do not worry of law enforcement. After all, the Inspector General of Police is a lembik.

Minister in charge only gives warning and kept giving excuse of his hands are tied. It only means two things; he is scared of making decisions or he is trying to blame it on Najib.

Keep Hishamuddin as KDN Minister and Najib could be gone as fast as an egg timer. Although Hishamuddin is useful for his strong political network in UMNO, at the moment, he does not strengthen his popularity with UMNO grassroot. 

Anyway congratulation in due for his good showing in Sembrong.

Crime is one concern or perhaps excuse of the Chinese community to vote opposition. It is no confidence builder to have Hishamuddin remain as KDN Minister.

Get someone firm and does not be seen as interfering with police work. Again, it is about perception.

Emphasis

The Chinese must be represented in Government. We cannot be punishing the Chinese beccause MCA President wanted to deny Chinese of any representation in government. The Chinese saved and help to maintain two third majority for BN in 1999 in the midst of reformasi.

Despite the less than 5% Chinese votes for BN, there are pockets of rural Chinese votes for BN and MCA candidates.

More representation and key cabinet positions to Sabah and Sarawak BN representatives.

Special emphasis must be given to the Information Minister position. It is ridiculous that the communication team is under the Prime Ministers Department. It shows the Information Minister was incompetent and yet we retained him. Get someone with strategic thinking. It must not be Ahmad Maslan. 

Clean up the Ministry from corrupt bureaucrats and businessmen-politicians. Purge RTM and FIMA. 

Cabinet appointment must weigh heavily on individual capability and current expertise requirement. If need be, get capable professionals but not a turnaround butcher to do economic planning.

Najib must stop the precedent to appoint cabinet based on state representation or quota formula. It must be based on need base. He must stress more on appeasing the voters than political warlords.

One way to appease the warlord is to be true to his words. Najib said previously that candidate list will be system generated and he will not interfere. But it was not.

If Najib wish to appoint cabinet based on capability and competency, he must stay true to his words and careful at appointing those who is seen as close to him. There must not be any inconsistency as what happened in the candidate list.

Najib allowed his man, Dr Puad Zarkashi to run for Parliament against the advise of many. See what happenned. 

The public's focus will be on Hishamuddin and Shafie Apdal, which are considered as his people but are not publicly seen favourably. Shafie is seen as incompetent and a magnet to controversies.    
  
We were told yesterday by some political akarumbi that one wrong move by Najib and the upcoming UMNO general assembly will be a heated one.

Danger

Anwar maybe on his road shows to dispute the election results based on some frivolous reasons but he will swear in as MP and opposition leader. That means he accept the election results. 

The danger he pose is his money. He is cash rich with American dollars and can afford to buy BN MPs. He will be active after cabinet appointment. The offer is in the 8 figures but as in the case of Saiful's father, the amount he will deliver is anybody's guess. 

During the general election campaign, Pakatan Rakyat was lavish with money. Party workers were paid RM100 a day and money was flush for the voters in the interiors of Sarawak.

Money was flowing in from outside through the foreign embassies and unhindered by diplomatic immunities. We were told by sources that in came with the help of diplomats from US, UK, Germany, Singapore, Indonesia, Thailand, etc..

The money came via Bangkok. That is why Anwar regularly goes there and Eskay was the person who regularly entertained him there. And that is why SUARAM and many other press conferences tend to be n Bangkok. 
  
Yet Sarawak Report kept accusing Taib Mahmud as corrupt and not a single mention of Anwar Ibrahim.

- Another Brick in the Wall