The question many are asking is whether the Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak is becoming another Pak Lah, the fifth Prime Minister whose writ did not run in Umno although he was also Umno President ending in his ignominious exit as Umno chief and prime minister.
This question has become more pronounced after Najib’s meek and completely unacceptable stance over Utusan Malaysia’s “1Melayu, 1Bumi” call.
Najib’s tame excuse is that the “1Melayu, 1Bumi” call was made by a columnist of a local daily and was the personal opinion of the writer concerned.
Najib’s excuse might be acceptable if Utusan Melayu is not the official organ of Umno, whose columns represent the mainstream opinion and demands of the Umno leadership in government.
Najib’s meek stance is doubly unacceptable because Utusan Malaysia’s “1Melayu, 1Bumi” call is an open challenge to his 1Malaysia policy in the past two years – tantamount to an open slap in the face of the Prime Minister’s signature concept.
Furthermore, if any Chinese newspaper had for instance called for a “1Chinese” campaign in the country, it would have been slapped with the full weight of the law, the press closed down and its editor/writer charged with sedition. Why the double standards in the case of Utusan Malaysia?
The Cabinet on Wednesday should repudiate and condemn the Utusan Malaysia’s “1Melayu, 1Bumi” call as irresponsible, seditious and a subtle attempt to sabotage Najib’s 1Malaysia policy.
As Umno President, he should revamp Utusan Malaysia to ensure that it should stop its anti-national campaign and to stop subverting his 1Malaysia signature policy.
If the Cabinet is silent on Utusan Malaysia’s “1Melayu, 1Bumi”, it could only mean that Najib’s 1Malaysia policy is sheer hypocrisy and chicanery costing Malaysian taxpayers RM70 million for APCO to package it as the greatest gift by Najib to Malaysians.
#1 by limkamput on Saturday, 23 April 2011 - 2:32 pm
No no no, NaJ!B is smarter or has better advisors than Pak Lah. It is dual track strategy from day one. The strategy is based on two assumptions: 1. there are sufficient number of Malay right wing/extremists and 2, there are sufficient number of nincompoops in the country. 1Melayu is for the extremists and 1Malaysia is for nincompoops. So the strategy may just work, at least for the immediate term, because we are not short of extremists (given the inculcation and indoctrination over the years) and nincompoops (given the lack of tenacity, education and awareness of most, especially those in the rural areas). Who said paying APCO is a waste?
#2 by k1980 on Saturday, 23 April 2011 - 2:47 pm
He is no Pak Lah, just as Altantuyah is no Mak Yah.
He is just playing “good cop” while his party organ utusan plays the “bad cop”. He will show his true colors once he regains the 2/3 majority in parliament.
#3 by Peter on Saturday, 23 April 2011 - 3:03 pm
It looks like Najib is turning to be a lame-duck PM. Abdul Taib Mahmud is supreme in Sarawak and Najib can’t shake him. His deputy Muhyiddin Yassin is 1Melayu first and Utusan can just spew racist utterances daily without any fear of repercussion. 1Malaysia, my foot, its all talk and talk only PM.
Seems that Umno has a large say in what Utusan publishes. But it does look increasingly obvious that the PM is not always able to control his soldiers, including his deputy. One of the reasons he just “dudok diam diam” on all these racialistic huha by his men is he fears he will lose the support of the ultra-Malays, many of whom are staunch supporters of Umno.
And now he introduced the 1Malaysia email, only to quickly claim that it is a private venture. The educated can see through this – we know we’re going to pay for it, we’re just not sure how.
#4 by the reds on Saturday, 23 April 2011 - 3:48 pm
It is an open secret that Malaysia practises double standard!
#5 by yhsiew on Saturday, 23 April 2011 - 3:54 pm
Down through history, we all know that BN has adopted a “divide and rule” tactic in order to gain racial support.
Najib said the “1 Melayu, 1Bumi” call is the opinion of the writer and it has nothing to do with him. Thus this gives Najib a golden excuse to continue the “divide and rule” tactic.
It is not that Najib is becoming another Pak Lah but rather, he is capitalizing on other people’s opinion to continue the “divide and rule” tactic.
#6 by Loh on Saturday, 23 April 2011 - 3:58 pm
///Najib’s lame excuse is that the “1Melayu, 1Bumi” call was made by a columnist of a local daily and was the personal opinion of the writer concerned.///–Kit
Since when is the Sedition Act against perpetrators are not against statements or speeches representing personal opinion? The call for 1Melayu, 1Bumi is to split the persons by race, and if that is not seditious, Sedition Act is not against people making seditious calls. That is why UMNO considered it acceptable when UMNO members spoke in UMNO GA threatening to invoke a repeat of May 13 is not seditious.
Najib practices double standards is now clear for all to witness.
#7 by tak tahan on Saturday, 23 April 2011 - 4:22 pm
Najib’s meek stance is doubly unacceptable because Utusan Malaysia’s “1Melayu, 1Bumi” call is an open challenge to his 1Malaysia policy in the past two years – tantamount to an open slap in the face of the Prime Minister’s signature concept by Sir LKS
Lohsimah would give najis a real tight slap on his stupidity and meekly stance on 1melayu,1Bumi against his fake 1Malaysia.Wasting RM70 million and yet might cause her to lose 1 lady title.Tonight at bedtime Lohsimah will perform body-slam on him.
#8 by sheriff singh on Saturday, 23 April 2011 - 5:24 pm
That’s why RAHMAN is coming to passsssssssss and Najib and UMNO is doomed.
#9 by Loh on Saturday, 23 April 2011 - 6:25 pm
///KUALA LUMPUR, April 22 — Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad insisted today that Malaysians are not yet ready to discard their ethnic origins by identifying themselves with only their nationality instead of their race.
The former prime minister said this was why Barisan Nasional (BN), as a coalition comprising various race-based parties like Umno, MCA and MIC, was still relevant in the country’s political landscape.
“That day has not arrived yet. Until then, only the BN coalition can represent all races in Malaysia,” he wrote in his blog today.///–MalaysiaToday
There is no need for the people of any origin to renounce his ethnic identity. It is the political party such as UMNO that utilizes the ethnic origin as a point of departure among the citizens. The excuse was people of different races are like tiger and goats, who if left unsupervised the tigers might be eaten by the goats. So UMNO as a race-based party is always relevant, since it cannot be expected till the end of time that tigers are changed into goats for protection.
To Mamakthir the day for NEP to be discontinued has not arrived yet just like UMNO should remain a race-based party because Malays will never become Chinese.
It is certainly time for Mamakthir to depart this world so that people of different races can have government which is not fielded by political parties which appeal to race issues.
#10 by Bigjoe on Saturday, 23 April 2011 - 7:22 pm
I believe Pak Lah was better as PM, at least it was clear what he believed in and where he stood – he just failed to execute. Najib does not believe in much, he stands for little and he still failed to execute. His administration is basically a PR job – basically hot air. Is it a wonder he failed too?
Pak Lah underestimated the challenge of what he was trying to do. Najib does not even take on the challenge, he avoids it. He has no idea what are the priorities. As far as he is concern, so long it looks good, its enough.
No, I believe Pak Lah was better by at least by one leap.
#11 by hallo on Saturday, 23 April 2011 - 8:32 pm
Keep your mind simple don’t make it complex
BN – Injustice, Racial, Corruption, Inequality, Threaten, Cheats
We need a new party for governor as
PKR, DAP – Justice, Equality, Honest, Anti-corruption, Fairness
KEEP IT SIMPLE
Don’t let any matter block/seal you simple mind that the BN beyond repair corrupted deep in the core
#12 by cemerlang on Saturday, 23 April 2011 - 8:55 pm
Support mah ! You don’t know kah ? Now support getting less and less and less. Have to pretend. Pretend in order to get the support. Multiple standard. Not just double standard. So many faces. Like this easily become mental. Have to be kwai kwai. Or else how to get to the top if people see you not kwai kwai. Always marah marah. People don’t like.
#13 by born in Malaya on Saturday, 23 April 2011 - 10:37 pm
Yeah!, BN’s open policy of racism in Malaysia has became their trade mark, they don’t feel shameful at all for bullying the minority in Malaysia.
These are the government the naive people has supported all this time.
Utusan Malaysia is supported by people from perkasa,UMNO or Dr M in order to say racist remark like this without any action taken on them.
For all Malaysian in Malaysia, it is not too late to support a new and fair government :PKR. Vote for a capable government, vote for Malaysia Malaysian.
#14 by Taxidriver on Saturday, 23 April 2011 - 10:56 pm
Cheo bin hor cannot be trusted. Like Najib, it smiles at you but is very dangerous. It will “crushed” your body, tear you apart and eat you.
#15 by Jeffrey on Sunday, 24 April 2011 - 8:51 am
When talking of “Writ does not run”, any writ diminishing an iota of Malay rights will of course not run. Party warlords & apparatchiks join the party to enjoy patronage structured round Malay rights. It vested interests, collective & individual, and if PM position by convention depends not on direct voting of rakyat (as in US presidential elections) but vote & support of party delegates what does want expect?
When Pak Lah as president made his maiden speech in 55th UMNO General Assmbly and made some constructive comments (in vein of his predecessor TDM ) that 30-plus year NEP was ineffective to make its beneficiaries competitive, that they should learn to rid of “crutches” or risk ending up in “wheelchairs” he was immediately rebutted At the assembly, deputy chairperson Badruddin Amiruldin – brandishing a book on the 1969 racial riots likened questioning Malay rights to stirring a hornets’ nest and warned to rapturous applause that “if it were disturbed, these hornets will strike and destroy the country…”
#16 by Jeffrey on Sunday, 24 April 2011 - 8:54 am
In fact Najib went further (than Pak Lah, who lamented the crutches) with his token financial liberalization & abolishment of FIC, his 1 Malaysia & NEM which were outright rejected in Bumiputra Congress by Perkasa chief.
Pak Lah at least had mandate of election. The present incumbent ascended due to an internal ‘coup’ so to speak to ease his predecessor out. Najib will probably be the first to admit privately that he is politically weak vis-à-vis internal party (UMNO) maneuverings and support. He can’t assert authority as far as anything to do with Malay rights as long as he does not dare take risk of losing his position due to the political machinations of warlords & apparatchiks having deep vested interest in this racial patronage system and eyeing & jostling to get his position.
To prevail in a vipers nest one must be by trait a King cobra. Even Machiavellian TDM may arguably not succeed (within such a system) had he been inclined to deconstruct institutionalized ethnocracy (which he thought better otherwise to promote instead).
#17 by Cinapek on Sunday, 24 April 2011 - 11:31 am
Apart from wanting to have his cake and eat it by quietly condoning the likes of Utusan and Perkasa so that he can retain the Malay support, he is also having so much personal baggage that he is afraid to play hardball with these extreme organizations. There is so much unexplained questions and suspicions of his involvement in the Mongolian model’s heinous murder, the huge kickbacks for massive billion dollar defence purchases such as the Scorpene submarines, Sukhoi jet fighters etc that any overt action on his part could invite more revelations and exposures. And the icing on the cake is FLOM’s antics which Utusan and Perkasa has so far kept mum. If they start on this as well, good old Jibby will have another front to deal with.
#18 by boh-liao on Sunday, 24 April 2011 - 12:18 pm
1Melayu, 1Bumi is d prelude 2 UmnoB marrying Perkosa n divorcing/kicking out MCA, MIC, Gerakan, SUPP etc fr BN
Ppl like CSL n KSK will hv 2 masuk Islam n join UmnoB 2 remain in ‘power’