Maybe a ‘king of trolls’ is what we need to keep PH on its toes

Of late, former prime minister Najib Razak has been repositioning himself as the common man, from walking the streets to riding a motorbike, from meeting Generation Y at cafes to mingling with the huge crowd at Batu Caves.

Najib, it would appear, has finally come down from his high horse and left his ivory tower to become “just one of us”.

Through his actions and social media activity, Najib is presently overshadowing every other opposition leader on the horizon. Not only is he maximising the use of social media to his benefit, he is also obviously watching every move of the Pakatan Harapan (PH) government, and zooms in for the kill whenever an opportunity arises.

Najib’s frequent criticism of the current administration has earned him a new moniker: “the king of trolls”, bestowed on him by DAP’s Lim Kit Siang.

For instance, International Trade and Industry Minister Darell Leiking praised the government of 2017 for its stellar performance in raising RM1.77 trillion in Malaysian trade, the highest in 13 years.

Najib was quick to respond with a thank-you as he was the prime minister at that time, and Barisan Nasional (BN) was in power. Such is his zeal now that he will pounce at every opportunity.

Perhaps this is what our nation needs – close monitoring. Only in this manner will the PH government remain on its toes, knowing that the opposition is scrutinising its every move.

At times, it might be tiring, even perplexing considering Najib’s history. But if in the end, it is the rakyat who benefit from such close policing, should anyone complain? Should anyone even be annoyed and uncomfortable with such checks and balances? I hope not.

One can be forgiven for thinking that Najib should not be allowed so much space, and that he should be charged under the same laws that his administration used against artist Fahmi Reza and cartoonist Zunar.

But to do so would mean that the PH government is no different from the BN one.

If Najib is to be seen as a Johnny-come-lately character in the mix of things, he is unlikely to change the people’s perception of who he is and what he represents. The 1MDB scandal and the RM2.6 billion in his personal account is and always will be his complex equivalent.

Many might perhaps thank him for being watchful and alert towards the failures and shortcomings of the PH government. That, however, is likely to end in just that manner. Nothing more, nothing less.

The adage “once bitten, twice shy” will remain the order of the day. You can do as much good as you can and re-engineer your image with the help of excellent spin doctors. But in the end, it might still lead to zero believability.

After all, it really is about the singer, not the song.

Clement Stanley is an FMT reader.