YOURSAY ‘Clever moves, but it makes the accused appear all the more guilty.’
Najib's desperate shuffle for survival
SteveOh: Writer Bridget Welsh sums it up well and adds no spice to the political brew. She forgot the Mahathir Mohamad factor though, and the role of PAS in Najib Abdul Razak's quest for political supremacy.
Ultimately, the growing weight of the millstones of scandal around Najib’s neck will weigh him down. The writing is on the wall and I doubt he can stave off the push for his removal much longer, not if another bombshell is dropped on his lap. You reap what you sow.
Ferdtan: I enjoyed reading the article. It’s very insightful of what is happening in Umno.
The BN government and its leaders are confused. The people are equally intrigued. Now who are holding the fort while all these government ministers are busy fighting one another?
Basically: Clever moves, but not the moves of one who claims there is nothing to hide. It does the opposite, it makes the accused appear all the more guilty.
They may succeed in burying this unfortunate scandal, but it will forever remain etched in our minds.
Np: We are looking at a new way to stay in power in Bolehland - that is, to allegedly steal a super large amount of monies from the people, and use it to buy over all those who can keep him in power and get rid of those who may threaten his position.
And control the attorney-general (AG) so that even if one is found to have allegedly committed a crime, no action can be taken.
Sali Tambap: A good write-up by Bridget. There has never been in Malaysia's history a case where a prime minister was forced out of office. Tunku Abdul Rahman's case was close after the May 13 incident but he went off voluntarily. And then there was Abdullah Ahmad Badawi.
Najib's case is different. He may want to go off voluntarily but it will not be a peaceful retirement for him but instead there could be a prison cell beckoning. The purported indictment draft by the former AG speaks much in that direction.
Most heads of the Malaysian government would continue to stay in office if they did not have any guarantee that they would be safe after stepping down. Mahathir and Sarawak's Abdul Taib Mahmud were cases in point. They had to make sure they were safe and their families, too.
As for Najib, he could not do that simply because he lacks grassroots support where trusted lieutenants whom he would leave behind could take care of things for him and make sure he would be not charged. What he did with all the purging makes sense.
Fairnsquare: Umno will have to make its own stand on the 1MDB issue and come clean. They can call an EGM (extraordinary general meeting) and elect a new president if they are not satisfied with what is going on.
Muhyiddin Yassin is the elected deputy president, while party presidents were appointed by their predecessors by convention as in the case of Abdullah and Najib. The need for street demonstrations and opposition driven 'coups,' does not arise.
The Analyser: It’s notable, and oh-so Malaysian, that most of the infighting within Umno is personality-based. There are virtually no factions based on political philosophy nor geographical divisions within Umno. It’s all me, me, me, me.
Mamba: For people on the street, the top major concerns are the plunging ringgit, depletion of national reserves used to defend the ringgit, rocketing inflation, and a worsening economy.
We worry more about the state of economy than over whether Najib stays on or not, or even be sent to jail.
Legit: Things are fast closing in. Najib thinks he can shield himself from the rage of Malaysians with all his power and influence and by doing all these crazy moves.
Somebody should advise him to bolt from the scene as quickly as he can before the same fate befalls on him as the Philippines’ Ferdinand Marcos and Romania’s Nicolae Ceaucescu.
Liujinzhong: Are there enough well-educated, open-minded, moderate Malays ready to replace this bunch of Umno leaders? Surely we Malaysians deserve a better tomorrow.
Swipenter: The last card available to Najib is an open secret. Umno ‘absorbs’ PAS and forms a Malay ‘God-fearing’ unity government and implement hudud. All dissenting voices would be silenced figuratively and literally.
Sa Tombs: Najib has taken what Dale Carnegie wrote in his book on ‘How to win friends and influence people’ and eliminate enemies by making them your friends.
You will now find that with the approval of the ex-officio cabinet member Rosmah Mansor, Mukhriz Mahathir will also be roped in for a cabinet post while Ahmad Zahid Hamidi will be exporting all (with the exception of his Indonesian cousins) to other countries. And so the beat goes on and on and on.
Haveagreatday: Thank you, Bridget for this insightful take. I take solace from your analysis that Najib may not as yet be able to ensure his survival politically despite the extreme measures he had taken to date.
Anonymous_1371508752: It is one thing to shore up weakness in leadership and quite another to defend wrongdoing. There is a big chasm between the two.
ABS: "Attention remains focused on fighting for political survival rather than governing for Malaysians" - this really says it all. Pathetic.
Senior: Yes, he can delay, but not prevent his departure.
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