Did the PM snub MTEM?

Snubbed, and then slammed for practising double standards. It hasn't been a good week for the Majlis Tindakan Ekonomi Melayu (MTEM), the so-called Malay lobby group that has been arm-twisting Najib Razak to sack Shamsul Azhar Abas, the CEO of Petronas. 

Nizam: Counting on meeting Najib

First they actually did NOT get to meet the Prime Minister. Mohd Nizam Mahshar, the chief exec of MTEM, had been so sure that Najib Razak would meet them personally, especially since even Tun Mahathir Mohamad had made time for them. And, since this week is the Umno general assembly, surely the PM, who is also Umno president, would want to resolve this Melayu issue before the big meeting ... 

But the PM is a busy man and as much as he might have wanted to, he had to get one of his advisers to stand in and listen to the MTEM guys' whingeing on his behalf. The rep listened, accepted a memorandum for the PM containing pages and pages on why Shamsul should be sacked, and then had to take the rest of the week off to seek therapy, I was told. It was that bad. 

Zamil: Why single out Petronas?

Then, last night, another setback: MTEM's sincerity in championing the Malay cause was questioned. On prime time news too! 

Zamil Ibrahim, the ex-president of alternative political party KITA, told TV3 that he was disturbed by the fact that MTEM had singled out Petronas on the issue of the Bumiputera agenda while other major oil companies that are owned by non-Bumiputeras were spared. What, did these jokers think Shell and the others had done more for the Bumis than Petronas? 

Parting shot, Zamil cautioned Nizam against using MTEM to promote vested interests or some other hidden agenda. I wonder how much Zamil knows? 

Quite a few people say the MTEM vs Petronas issue will be brought up at the Umno general assembly this week. But A lot more people will read the mid-week snub by the PM as a clear message from the Party president as to where he stands on the matter  ...

-rocky's bru