Analysts: Better for Najib to stay away from future campaigns

They say the former prime minister is still seen as a symbol of Barisan Nasional's failures.

Former prime minister Najib Razak, who stepped down as Umno president and Barisan Nasional chairman after the May 9 general election.

PETALING JAYA: Political analysts have warned that it is better for former prime minister Najib Razak to distance himself from future campaigning for by-elections as he is still seen as a symbol of Barisan Nasional’s (BN) inadequacies.

Ibrahim Suffian.

Merdeka Center executive director Ibrahim Suffian said Najib, who resigned as Umno president and BN chairman following the coalition’s defeat in the May 9 polls, still represented BN’s “disconnect” with the people as well as its purportedly excessive ways.

“It would be fair to keep him away in the near term. It is hard for voters to take Umno seriously, especially when the party remains fixated on race and religion.

“Ideally, Najib should back off,” he told FMT.

Although BN’s defeat in the recent Sungai Kandis by-election was likely due to many factors, he said, chief among them was that the coalition’s image, particularly in a state like Selangor, had taken a beating.

He added that BN’s candidate was a known hardcore Umno activist, which would not swing voters or appeal to those on the middle ground.

“The public is also being exposed to a lot of irregularities that took place under the BN federal administration. These have greatly diminished the standing of Umno and BN in the eyes of the people,” he said.

Kamarul Zaman Yusoff.

Independent political analyst Kamarul Zaman Yusoff agreed that Najib’s presence could have a negative impact on campaigning in future by-elections.

He said Najib still had a “bad image” which people associated with BN’s defeat in the general election.

“If Najib is allowed to talk on behalf of the party, people will think that Umno is still the same and that it is all about Najib.

“What Najib should do now is stay put and remain silent. The one who should do the talking is Ahmad Zahid Hamidi, in his capacity as Umno president.”

The Sungai Kandis by-election on Aug 4 saw PKR retaining the seat with its candidate Mohd Zawawi Ahmad Mughni garnering 15,423 votes. He defeated BN’s Lokman Noor Adam who obtained 9,585 votes, while independent candidate K Murthy got only 97 votes.

The Seri Setia and Balakong by-elections will be held on Sept 8.

Like Ibrahim, Kamarul said BN’s defeat in Sungai Kandis could have been due to Lokman being seen as close to Najib.

“Lokman was vocal in defending Najib. As a result, he shared Najib’s image.

“It is better to choose candidates for Seri Setia and Balakong who are not closely linked to the former prime minister,” he said. FMT