PM’s blame game


The Malaysian Insider
Sep 10, 2011

SEPT 10 — So far the only people not blamed for the mishandling of the Bersih 2.0 rally are Al-Qaeda, Chin Peng, Kermit the Frog and Ayah Pin.

You get the drift, right. It seems that the order to turn Kuala Lumpur into a war zone and treat ordinary Malaysians like criminals was everybody’s fault but that of Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak.

In the short time following the rally on July 9, Najib’s operatives and aides spent considerable time convincing journalists and pundits that he was all for offering Bersih organisers the use of a stadium but was persuaded otherwise by

a) Home Minister Datuk Seri Hishammuddin Hussein;

b) Information Minister Datuk Seri Rais Yatim;

c) Deputy IGP Datuk Seri Khalid Abu Bakar;

d) Datuk Ibrahim Ali and Perkasa; and

e) Deputy Prime Minister Tan Sri Muhiyiddin Yassin

Basically, Najib’s people wanted to create a moat between him and the fallout from the mishandling of Bersih. So he was the good guy who was wrongly advised by the hardliners. In essence, the PM, they argued, is a reformer and a centrist.

But it is all these hawks who convinced him that the rally goers would take over Stadium Merdeka and squat there for weeks and force his government down.

Tan Sri Koh Tsu Koon’s decision to blame the police for the mishandling of July 9 should be seen as an expansion of this blame game. Now, it is the police alone who acted unilaterally in using force to crack down on Bersih rally goers, including arresting six Parti Sosialis Malaysia party officials on trumped up charges of waging war against the King.

What Najib’s spin-doctors and Tsu Koon don’t realise is that blaming everyone for the mistakes on July 9 only serves to weaken Najib in the eyes of Malaysians.

We want our leaders to be decisive, to be principled and not to be easily persuaded by scaremongers or right-wing elements.

We also don’t mind if our leaders make a few mistakes along the way but be honest enough to offer a mea culpa.

But what is distasteful is to either leave important decisions such as the use of force to the whims and fancies of the police or be easily persuaded by right-wing ministers and the police on the crackdown and then turn around after everything goes awry and point fingers elsewhere.

This blame game is hurting Najib more than anyone else. The buck should stop with the PM.

  1. #1 by boh-liao on Monday, 12 September 2011 - 1:30 am

    Let d show/circus go on, d more dumb d better, let them dig a big hole 2 bury themselves; just spread d news factually 2 show how dumb, dishonest n arrogant they r

  2. #2 by Loh on Monday, 12 September 2011 - 2:05 am

    ///In the short time following the rally on July 9, Najib’s operatives and aides spent considerable time convincing journalists and pundits that he was all for offering Bersih organisers the use of a stadium but was persuaded otherwise by

    a) Home Minister Datuk Seri Hishammuddin Hussein;

    b) Information Minister Datuk Seri Rais Yatim;

    c) Deputy IGP Datuk Seri Khalid Abu Bakar;

    d) Datuk Ibrahim Ali and Perkasa; and

    e) Deputy Prime Minister Tan Sri Muhiyiddin Yassin///–The MalaysianInsider

    Now that Najib has realized that these persons are blocking the progress of 1Malaysia, he should dissociate himself with them, or say bye-bye to 1Malaysia. Trouble is Najib does not know how to do the right thing, even in terms of strengthening his position as PM. He talked about moderation but none of the five listed above supports moderation. Indeed, they were working for Najib’s downfall.

    Judging by his countless flip-flops, Najib cannot be expected to lead Malaysia away from becoming a failed state. It matters not whether he is given the right advices. Malaysians are waiting for GE 13 for a peaceful transfer of power away from UMNO.

  3. #3 by yhsiew on Monday, 12 September 2011 - 5:14 am

    ///Tan Sri Koh Tsu Koon’s decision to blame the police for the mishandling of July 9 should be seen as an expansion of this blame game.///

    Tan Sri Koh Tsu Koon hardly needed to make such claim, as everybody knows Malaysian police will not act unless they receive instructions from their political masters.

  4. #4 by k1980 on Monday, 12 September 2011 - 7:17 am

    The buck stops at saifool’s ar#ehole, not at jibbi’s desk

  5. #5 by Bigjoe on Monday, 12 September 2011 - 7:42 am

    When Mahathir faulted Najib for the handling of Bersih, the debate is over. Won’t even matter if Mahathir retracts. The issue really is now what?

    From the 6% pre-paid card service tax respond of Najib. its clear he feels under seiged and making even worst respond when under pressure. From Mahathir’s respond, its clear he is not the only one worried. There is a lot of manouvering going on behind the scene right now.

    If an election is called in November, it will be perfect for PR to relentlessly go after Najib – he is making bad decision under pressure and will keep doing it.

    On the other hand, delaying an election is delaying disaster. Its clear the economy is slowing down. Not only that – his projects are all problematics – from MRT project, Talent Corporation, 1MDB, etc. they are all raising issues dramatically. Then there is the Altantuya case, issues with defense contracts, etc.. His programs and plans are literally falling apart.

    In addition, the Anwar trial is proving to be disastrous politically for UMNO/BN – When Anwar is treated as a martyr, Mahathir will go ballistic.

    Najib is done. The only issue is his exit, how and sooner or later.

  6. #6 by monsterball on Monday, 12 September 2011 - 7:57 am

    The blame game started by Koh Tsu Koon and Najib and the blaming game keep rolling on and on.
    Najib is a gone case…..no cure.
    Every young Malaysians are laughing a him and hates his lying character.

  7. #7 by k1980 on Monday, 12 September 2011 - 1:07 pm

  8. #8 by cemerlang on Monday, 12 September 2011 - 1:19 pm

    Life’s a game, sometimes you win, sometimes you lose. But no matter what your cards in life, whether club, spade, or diamond, always remember – never play without a heart!
    Kermit is a nice frog. Blame some other frog that can emit poison.

  9. #9 by dagen on Monday, 12 September 2011 - 1:29 pm

    GE13, when will it be? Is that the question? No. The greater question is whether or not jib will be around to lead umno in GE13. You see sleepyhead was the cause of umno’s record bad showing during the last GE. Umno is affected terribly for umno is psychologically burdened by that abysmal performance.

    Increasingly jib is seen as a liability just as sleepyhead was. So would umno allow jib to lead in GE13? This issue complicates matter further for jibby jib in his decision on the date for GE13.

    Hey cintanegara you punya hero nampak macam problem sikit. Masih boleh tahan ke?

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