Najib’s Pardon: Shot Down Before It Can Take Off

 

Umno is a political party and Umno leaders are politicians. So, as politicians, they need to consider whether an open support for Najib, now that he is in jail serving his sentence, is politically the correct thing to do.

NO HOLDS BARRED

Raja Petra Kamarudin

Najib Tun Razak is facing the same attack as the Americans faced in Pearl Harbour on 7th December 1941. The Japanese sneaked up on the Americans and shot down their planes as they were taxiing on the runaway and before they could take off.

The move by Najib’s supporters had not even taken off yet. It was still being planned. But before anything could happen, there was already strong opposition to the rumour that Najib would be applying for a royal pardon from Seri Paduka Baginda Yang di-Pertuan Agong.

The anti-pardon group immediately launched a petition opposing the pardon for Najib, while the pro-Najib group launched a petition supporting a pardon for Najib. The anti-petition group garnered far more signatures than the pro-Najib group.

It was a disaster for the pro-Najib group who talk so much but do not have the brains to execute the plan efficiently and intelligently. Never ask a boy to do a man’s job. And these are the same people who insist that if a snap GE15 was held today, Umno would “win big”, and can do so “solo” without any electoral pact or coalition with any other party.

They cannot even manage a petition properly and they think they can win big in GE15 in a five-corner contest. Well, the Americans also thought that the Japanese cannot fly a plane properly because they are too short, just before the Americans in Pearl Harbour were sent to the bottom of the sea.

Umno is a political party and Umno leaders are politicians. So, as politicians, they need to consider whether an open support for Najib, now that he is in jail serving his sentence, is politically the correct thing to do.

Umno has three million members. In GE14, Umno garnered only 2.5 million votes out of 15 million registered voters. In GE15, there will be more than 20 million registered voters and Umno may garner only three million votes.

That means only 15% of the voters will support Umno. Barisan Nasional may garner 40% of the votes with the help of MCA, MIC, etc., plus from the Sabah and Sarawak parties. That means about 60% of the voters will support the opposition plus will be “atas pagar” voters.

Hence Najib is worth only 15% of the votes. Would Umno and its leaders gamble away the support of 85% of the non-Umno voters to please 15% of the Umno voters? Najib will have to be collateral damage. He may need to be sacrificed for the greater good of Umno and Barisan Nasional. If Najib must be sacrificed so that Umno-BN can get the support of the non-Najib or neutral voters, that will be what has to happen.

This is politics. And in politics and war collateral damage is necessary. Najib’s supporters and family will have to accept the fact that if Umno-BN gain more support from the “atas pagar” voters by allowing Najib to remain in jail, then that is what will happen.