YOURSAY ‘Nothing substantial was said, only empty platitudes and bare denials.’
Key issues raised by Dr M not addressed
Kim Quek: The Najib Razak TV interview on Thursday night demonstrates the immense advantage of incumbency of the PM in an authoritarian country like Malaysia, where the media is tightly under the control of the government.
Though Najib has practically talked only nonsense - as far as the accusations directed at him are concerned - he was given exclusive prime-time TV coverage to answer questions that were tailored-made to whitewash his enormous stains.
Since no contrarian views are entertained in the mainstream media, what Najib said might just carry the day for the vast majority of electorate, who happen to be not Internet savvy or not well-educated.
And since the entire government machinery that includes all the law-enforcing agencies, plus the judiciary, is under the control of the incumbent government, it is difficult to unseat the PM, short of a major rebellion from the ruling coalition, in particular Umno.
That said, it will be interesting to watch how those Umno leaders who have been prompting Najib to respond to former PM Dr Mahathir Mohamad’s allegations publicly, would react to this Najib interview. How they react would reveal of how much integrity they have.
SRMan: Najib, you have missed a golden opportunity to 'bury the ghosts' of your alleged wrongdoings. It is not often that you open your 'golden mouth' to address crucial issues affecting this nation or yourself.
Your responses at the so-called question-and-answer session seemed to have skirted several of the key allegations raised. Were your answers for the general populace or merely for the kampong folk?
No, we are hardly convinced.
Just Me: Yes, 1Malaysia Development Berhad (1MDB) has more assets than its loans.
However much of its assets are land sold cheaply by the government to them. So they have make profit from this cheap land and not from their operations.
Louis: Why is it so difficult to explain how flamboyant tycoon Jho Low was connected to 1MDB? Is it so hard to answer how your stepson, Riza Aziz, can be so rich?
Must it take a rocket scientist to explain why a new VIP jet is needed while there are more pressing needs of national importance?
And is there any need for your wife to use the government jet for her private pursuit? How do you justify your extravagance when the people are struggling with rising prices?
Answer all these questions convincingly and put Mahathir to shame. Silence him once and for all.
Lin Wenquan: Najib was merely tiptoeing very cautiously around the prickly issues raised by TDM (Mahathir). The total absence of a robust rebuttal on a point-by-point basis has sealed Najib’s fate and any hope of the rakyat giving the PM the benefit of the doubt.
This well-rehearsed TV interview failed to live up to the 'no holds barred' billing given by some over-optimistic people.
If the well-paid Prime Minister’s Office (PMO) advisers think this has stopped TDM from further attacks, they are sadly mistaken. This ‘sandiwara’ will whet his appetite to finish what he has set out to do. Let's wait for the old man's take on this non-event.
Malaysia Ku: Nothing substantial was said in the TV interview, only empty platitudes and bare denials. This TV3 show does not change anything.
Commentable: In other words, one hour on national TV and nothing of substance was addressed. This is nothing but a mere show of face and reading from a prepared script. So why bother doing it?
The status quo remains pretty much the same after Thursday’s night. It is interesting to see if the good old doctor is pacified after this show.
Ib: Indeed, the real issues were not addressed at all, just a cursory touch on the topics with the same rhetoric.
For example, the question on Altantuya is not about whether Najib was involved. The question is who gave the instructions because convicted murderer Sirul Azhar Umar clearly has no explainable motive to kill her.
What about use of C4 and the erasure of Altantuya’s entry records by Immigration? It would be good to have Mahathir on TV but I don't think they will let him near any TV station.
Negarawan: Najib's responses were at best cliche. He keeps on repeating that he has the support of the rakyat and party. If that is really true, he will not be in this situation in the first place.
The TV broadcast only further weakens his position on the allegations against him and will invite more suspicion and distrust from the rakyat and his "family friend", Mahathir.
Wg321: What a letdown. I was expecting Najib to announce the official stand of Umno on the implementation of hudud laws in Kelantan.
I thought he is going to officially announce that the 88 Umno MPs are going to support the private bill on hudud as proposed by PAS president Abdul Hadi Awang in Parliament.
Mahathir said that there is a difference between Allah’s hudud and PAS’ hudud. Therefore he is against PAS’ hudud laws. However, Najib is lost at sea.
Mushiro: Najib repeated at least twice that he is only answerable to the people and the party - but what is the use if he was answerable to only 47% of the people.
Najib also spoke about his belief in democracy, but 51% of Malaysians want him out. How can this be called democracy?
Aquinas Says: I'm sure there will be a Part 2 to the interview. Surely Najib cannot think that reiterating what has already been said by the government will satisfy the concerned public?
Enough of talk, set up RCI on Altantuya murder
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