Dr M’s criticisms of Najib don’t matter any more, say analysts

 

Pejuang chairman Dr Mahathir Mohamad had attacked Najib Razak in a series of letters to voters during the Johor state elections.

PETALING JAYA: The dismal performance of Dr Mahathir Mohamad’s Pejuang party at Saturday’s Johor elections indicate that his criticisms of his successor Najib Razak lack any bite, says an analyst.

Mahathir, who is the Pejuang chairman, had launched scathing attacks on Najib in a series of letters to Johor voters ahead of the elections. He had warned voters that his successor as prime minister was intent on regaining power in a bid to escape punishment for his role in the 1MDB scandal.

In one letter, Mahathir called Najib a “disgrace to his country, race and religion”.

Najib has been convicted on charges relating to funds linked to 1MDB but has appealed against his conviction and jail sentence.

However, Oh Ei Sun of the Singapore Institute of International Affairs said that since Mahathir has lost his influence, his criticism of those who displease him no longer carry any weight.

He also said Pejuang was the least of Najib’s worries, especially after the party failed to win any of the 42 seats it had contested.

“He (Mahathir) doesn’t seem to have a lot of traction among Malay voters, and non-Malays hate him for abandoning Pakatan Harapan. So, it doesn’t matter if he likes or dislikes anybody,” said Oh.

“Logically, one would worry about criticisms if the critic were influential. If the critic is abysmally inconsequential, one could just disregard them.”

Ilham Centre’s head researcher, Yusri Ibrahim, said that even if leaders from Perikatan Nasional and Pejuang continue to criticise Najib, there was no escaping the fact that Barisan Nasional won a major victory.

BN clinched 40 of the 56 state assembly seats, romping to a two-third majority.

However, Yusri pointed out that the Johor elections were not a final blow to Mahathir, especially considering the low voter turnout of about 55%.

As Najib had been a major factor in mobilising BN’s campaign in Johor, he said, Najib could consider the result as a “personal victory and a morale booster”.

“The biggest challenge for those like Mahathir and his party is how they will come up with an effective strategy to make a significant comeback,” he said. - FMT