Najib's warning to troops and police 'fake news', Bersatu strategist says

Prime Minister Najib Abdul Razak has been accused of peddling fake news when he warned police and the armed forces about possible job cuts under the wrong leadership.

Bersatu strategist Rais Hussin said this includes Najib's warning that the Royal Malay Regiment may be dissolvedunder a leadership that purportedly finds the infantry unit incompatible with the Malaysian Malaysia concept.

The term 'Malaysian Malaysia' is an obvious reference to DAP, which Najib has regularly painted as anti-Malay and anti-Muslim.

"This is a complete and present example of fake news,” said Rais.

"All this is basically like the Cambridge Analytica (CA) tactics of creating deep fear, trying to frame things that are untrue, and then inculcate fear among the people especially the Malays, to practice divide and rule mechanisms to create a wedge between the people of Malaysia," he told Malaysiakini.

CA is a data analysis firm that does election consultancy, and in a UK Channel 4 undercover report, said part of its job was to discover its target audience’s deep-rooted fears.

"It's no good fighting an election campaign on the facts, but actually it's all about emotions,” CA’s global political managing director Mark Turnbull was shown saying.

Rais said contrary to Najib's claims, Pakatan Harapan in its manifesto has ensured protection of constitutional Malay institutions, as well as to uplift the civil service.

He especially found the notion that Harapan would trim down on the police force as nonsensical.

"How can that be possible? Police are always needed in any democracy, any country. Even in an autocracy, the police are needed, what more in a democracy," he said.

'Low politics'

He also said Harapan and its leaders such as Dr Mahathir Mohamad, would fully be capable of governing with the nation's historical context in mind.

Rais accused Najib of resorting to "low level politics" due to fear of a Malay tsunami in support of Harapan.

He cited the big turnouts at Harapan ceramahs in Kedah and Perlis recently as an example of this tsunami happening.

"I think I am beginning to see that this tsunami is going to be real, that is why the PM and his [people] are going to indulge in low level politics," he said. -Mkini