The first month of the New Year 2013 had just passed the half-way mark but Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak’s signature 1Malaysia policy had already suffered two fatal blows – firstly, the Sharifah-Bawani “Listen, listen, listen!” diatribe and secondly, former Prime Minister Tun Dr. Mahathir’s defamation of Bapa Malaysia Tunku Abdul Rahman and one million citizens of the Merdeka generation.

The infamous Sharifah-Bawani “Listen, listen, listen!” video clips is the latest proof of the continuing and insidious legacy of the 22-year draconian Mahathir rule, debunking the claim that the Najib premiership has shaken off all Mahathirish past excesses and now subscribes to the belief that “The era the government knows best is over”.

But what has shaken public confidence to its very roots not only in the integrity of national institutions but the commitment of the present government to 1Malaysia policy is the defamation of Bapa Malaysia Tunku Abdul Rahman and one million citizens of the Merdeka generation by the longest-serving Prime Minister when brazenly trying to justify Project IC or Project M which had perpetrated the capital crime and treason of “citizenship-for-votes” scam in Sabah to shore up UMNO’s political power in the state.

Najib spelt out the definition of 1Malaysia in the 1Malaysia Government Transformation Programme Roadmap in January 2010, which states:

“The goal of 1Malaysia is to make Malaysia more vibrant, more productive and more competitive – and ultimately a greater nation: a nation where, it is hoped, every Malaysian perceives himself or herself as Malaysian first, and by race, religion, geographical region or socio-economic background second and where the principles of 1Malaysia are woven into the economic, political and social fabric of society.”

But one question cries out for answer, even if we put aside for the moment the open repudiation by Deputy Prime Minister, Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin of the 1Malaysia policy when he declared that he was “Malay first, Malaysian second” and the failure of the Cabinet and the UMNO/BN Supreme Councils to publicly endorse the 1Malaysia policy despite four years of Najib premiership.

The question is: How can the Malaysian people take Najib’s 1Malaysia policy as a serious policy to make Malaysia more vibrant, productive and competitive where every Malaysian perceives himself or herself as Malaysian first and race second, when the efforts in nation-building not only by Bapa Malaysia, Tunku Abdul Rahman, but also one million citizens of the Merdeka generation could be summarily dismissed and even defamed – as Mahathir did when he alleged that Tunku had done worse than Project IC or Project M by giving citizenship to one million unqualified people in peninsula Malaysia, and protesting: “Why is it when he does it, it is not wrong, and when I do it, it’s wrong?”

Instead of defaming Tunku and the one million citizens of the Merdeka generation, Mahathir should account to Sabahans and Malaysians why he had lived a public lie for two decades – ten years as PM and ten years in retirement – denying the existence of Project IC or Project M which perpetrated the “citizenship-for-votes” scam?

Malaysians, however, are baffled by Najib’s response on Thursday after the Barisan Nasional Supreme Council meeting to the revelations of “citizenship-for-votes” scam by the Royal Commission of Inquiry (RCI) into illegal immigrants in Sabah and Mahathir’s reaction.
In fact, what Najib did not say is more significant that what he said.

While saying that it is still premature to draw conclusions from the RCI as it is still at its initial stage with 167 more witnesses to be called, Najib studiously avoided comment on Mahathir’s defamation of Tunku and one million citizens of Merdeka generation.

Is Najib implying support for Mahathir’s defamation of Tunku in giving one citizenship to one million unqualified people – which would not only implicate Bapa Malaysia but also Najib’s father, Tun Razak?

Let Najib without delay clear the name not only of Tunku but also his father Tun Razak and openly dissociate himself from Mahathir’s defamation of Tunku, Tun Razak and one million citizens of the Merdeka generation.