Najib finally does something right

Is there anything behind Najib's generosity towards Anwar? Nonetheless, it was the right move for the embattled Prime Minister

COMMENT

Supporters of Anwar Ibrahim were given a pleasant surprise just the other day as Prime Minister Najib Razak, the man many feel is behind the opposition leader’s incarceration in the first place, lent a helping hand to the ailing politician by ordering all relevant parties to give him the medical treatment he desperately needs.

It was previously reported that Anwar was suffering a series of maladies, causing him to lose 6 kg. That is something fitness enthusiasts would rejoice over, but for a 68-year old man with a history of back problems, it’s a sign that his body cannot take the pressure of incarceration and the lack of medical care available to him. His lawyers have asked that their client be allowed house arrest so that he may receive the necessary treatment, but it remains to be seen whether Najib’s current generosity extends that far.

After all, it was not too long ago that Najib was embroiled in a heated battle with Anwar, with the opposition leader charging straight at Putrajaya with the strongest opposition in Malaysian history. The feud was at times bitter and personal, and nothing was off limits as facets of both Najib’s and Anwar’s personal lives were fed to the public in an information war, with the combatants hoping that maybe the next little bit of information would be enough to spark a victory. Accusations of sodomy, of murder, of corruption and the like were commonplace, making it one of the dirtiest political feuds in Malaysian history.

That is why Najib’s generosity is surprising . One must suppose that at this point of time, Najib feels safe and comfortable knowing that his position cannot be challenged with the Umno elections postponed by 18 months. Unless he is hit with a vote of no confidence, or a scandal of such magnitude that even he cannot shrug it off, it appears that Najib will remain our Prime Minister for the immediate future.

Putting aside the constantly raised 1MDB scandal and the thorn in his side that is former prime minister Mahathir Mohamad, Najib is safer than ever. He merely has to shrug and pass the buck over 1MDB. And Mahathir has yet to produce a smoking gun. The opposition is weak and fractured from its own internal conflict, and the rakyat are happily preoccupied with various small controversies over the exposure of “aurat” in government buildings and public places, among other tiny issues.

Najib has a lot of time time on his hands now that he doesn’t have to worry about the opposition and the Umno elections. And it is Ramadan. So he can afford to be graceful to a mighty enemy brought low. Additionally, Najib surely knows that Anwar is a figure who draws sympathy, with so many concerned over his health. Extending a helping hand could buy him some leeway with Anwar’s supporters, giving him even more reason to be magnanimous. He may even approve the request for Anwar to be moved to house arrest given the amount of goodwill he stands to gain.

Nonetheless, it cannot be denied that Anwar is in need of medical attention, and for the sake of his reputation as leader of this country, Najib can ill afford to let Anwar waste away slowly from disease in prison, which would surely invite a fresh wave of criticism and derision for the embattled Prime Minister.

As the saying goes, perhaps we should not look a gift horse in the mouth. Najib has done well in offering medical aid to Anwar, and it is in his bests interest to continue being fair and generous to the one-time powerhouse of Malaysian politics. Whether there are any other implications to Najib’s sudden generosity remains to be seen, but whatever the reason, it was the right move to make on the long road to rehabilitating the Prime Minister’s image.

The novelty of it alone is newsworthy. Najib is finally getting something right.