Najib's surprise 'fact-finding' walkabout at LRT station: To remind Malaysians he's still 'alive'?

It is not uncommon for heads of departments, CEOs, bosses and ministers to do a walkabout at the areas under their responsibilities; to know first-hand and to check the situation on the grounds themselves and verifying the reports received from those in charge of that area or section.

But the habit of Datuk Seri Najib Razak going for “unscheduled walkabouts” all over the country raised some pertinent questions. What is the real purpose of these walkabouts?

The walkabouts done by Najib are countless. You can just google “najib walkabout”, and there would be numerous information on the date, year, time and place. You can also type “najib lawatan mengejut” and there would be more in Bahasa Malaysia.

Unfortunately, there has been no follow up reports or news after the visit. We would like to know what positive results have come out from those walkabouts.

The latest walkabout done by Najib was on last Friday 15th January 2015 after Friday prayers when he took the train from the PWTC LRT Station and travelled to KL Sentral.

What good could really be achieved other that the video clip occupying prime time television news and with standard positive narrations from the news reader that the ordinary people are very happy, with smiles on their faces as if Najib has brought some expensive gifts to everyone he shook hand with!

PM Najib

The most glaring thing however is the absence of Datuk Seri Liow Tiong Lai, the Transport Minister from MCA. Just like Datuk Palanivel from MIC who did not contribute anything during the landslide in Cameron Highlands recently, Liow has done nothing to improve the transport system in the country. Both Liow and Palanivel can go into hibernation until the next general election and the transport affairs in our country will run on its own, it won’t make any difference! But that is another story.

Coming back to Najib on his walkabout at the PWTC LRT Station, will the services be improved in the sense that will there be shorter queues at the ticket counters and kiosks, fewer malfunctioned automatic ticket dispensing machines, the trains will be on time, not packed like sardines in the can during peak hours, better intra & inter -connectivity with other transport systems, more integrated network and coverage in the future and above all are the entire LRT system and services good value for money spent both by the passengers and the Umno-BN government in constructing the LRT system!

We all know that several LRT lines in KL made huge losses such that all of them had to be bailed out by public funds to form one large organisation, Prasarana Malaysia Berhad (Prasarana) which is the asset owner and operator of the country’s two LRT networks and the KL Monorail, in addition to the bus services of RapidKL, RapidPenang and RapidKuantan, under the purview of the Land Public Transport Commission (SPAD).

If Najib’s walkabout was a serious fact findings effort, then those reporting to him are not telling Najib the truth and hiding certain information, thus Najib had no choice but to check the situation himself. If that is so, then those irresponsible officials must be sacked! It is not surprising since Liow was nowhere to be seen!

Not only they are not doing the job they are paid for, Najib had to waste his precious time and remember, the whole entourage plus security details took a chunk from the public funds.

But if the latest walkabout was to divert the people’s attention away from the flood mismanagement, Datin Rosmah holidaying overseas recently, 1MDB debacle, Sirul & Azilah, Zahid Hamidi-Phua affair and the crack in Umno involving Tun Daim, it won’t work! – TMI