Najib’s mocking of pro-Umno bloggers will backfire, says ex-NST editor

Datuk Kadir Jasin believes the prime minister has bitten off more than he chew by attacking pro-Umno bloggers, including calling them a rude word. – The Malaysian Insider pic, November 30, 2014.Datuk Seri Najib Razak's admission yesterday that pro-Umno bloggers are funded by the party will only weaken the party's online warfare, a veteran journalist said.

Datuk A.Kadir Jasin noted on his blog today that this was the first time an Umno leader had openly declared that the party hired bloggers to write for them.

"Najib's admission and sneers will weaken Umno's psychological warfare on the Internet.

"Even without his confession and condemnation, the effectiveness of Umno bloggers is under dispute," the former group editor of The New Straits Times said.

Yesterday, Najib took the pro-Umno bloggers to task for attacking party leaders under the guise of friendly fire.

The Umno president said they should be aware of who their funders were, and urged them to train their guns at the opposition instead.

"Who are our bloggers relying on to feed their mouths? Go and attack the opposition. That is how we win a war.

"Don't battle one another. It doesn't make sense. Bangang (stupid)," said Najib in his closing speech at the Umno general assembly.

Kadir, taking exception to the word "bangang", said: "Forgive me for saying this, but the word 'bangang' which Mohd Najib used is too much. It is crass, rude and does not reflect the manner and dignity of a leader.

"I feel quite sorry for any blogger who loses his rice bowl after Mohd Najib's speech."

But he noted this was not the first time an Umno leader had criticised a blogger.

Tan Sri Zainuddin Maidin, now a blogger himself, had called bloggers "goblok" during his time as Information Minister, Umno Youth chief Khairy Jamaluddin had called them apes, while Datuk Shaziman Abu Mansor called them shooter thieves when he was the Energy, Water and Communications Minister.

- TMI