Undeterred by five fines, Najib slams DAP's 'Malay ruse' at crowded event

JOHOR POLLS | Former prime minister Najib Abdul Razak remains undeterred despite having been slapped with five fines for non-compliance with Covid-19 standard operating procedures (SOPs), making yet another appearance at a crowded event last night.

The Pekan MP turned up at 988 Food Court in the suburbs of Iskandar Puteri last night to stump for MCA's Skudai candidate Lim Soon Hai.

Some 200 people, many clad in BN's trademark blue and holding up placards of Lim, had waited for Najib at the food court and swarmed around him as soon as he exited his vehicle at 9.40pm.

The BN advisory board chairperson was greeted with a lion dance troupe and was then escorted by supporters who chanted "Bossku! Bossku!" to a long table where he was seated by Lim.

Supporters surrounded the table and some took the opportunity to take photographs with him.

Najib also delivered a speech, framing Lim's DAP rival as a party that had turned its back on the Chinese community.

BN's Lim is facing Harapan's Marina Ibrahim from DAP and Perikatan Nasional's Khoo Kong Ek, who is a Bersatu associate member.

Najib, in his speech, slammed the DAP for cutting funding to Tunku Abdul Rahman University College and also touted his decision to allow the expansion of Foon Yew High School when he was the prime minister and education minister.

"DAP is useless, (now) they put a Malay candidate.

"That is just a ruse (tipu saja). They are performing a magic trick. Who do we want? Lim Soon Hai," he said as the crowd of predominantly Chinese supporters cheered.

Najib said voters should back BN as it is fair to all races and he urged them to teach DAP a lesson.

In the 2018 general election, DAP won the seat with a 35,126-vote majority.

Najib, who has been convicted of abuse of power, criminal breach of trust and money laundering, has actively campaigned during the Johor polls, including making several appearances for various MCA candidates.

Many of his appearances were accompanied by large crowds.

Yesterday, Health Minister Khairy Jamaluddin revealed that Najib had been fined five times for breaking the SOPs during the Johor polls campaign period. - Mkini