Najib has recently developed very Trumpish habit with a special appetite for chest-thumping about the greatness of his premiership but why has he studiously avoided the subjects of Malaysia turning overnight into a global kleptocracy and the creeping Talibanisation in the country?
Recently, since his return from his visit to the White House and meeting with US President Trump, the Prime Minister, Datuk Seri Najib Razak has developed very Trumpish habit with a special appetite for chest-thumping about the greatness of his premiership, but why has he studiously avoided the subjects of Malaysia turning overnight into a global kleptocracy and the creeping Talibanisation in the country?
Examples of such Najib’s “Trumpish” chest-thumping, which started with his return from his White House visit ten days ago, are:
• Najib’s boast on his return at KLIA that Trump called him “friend” and gave him a personal send-off.
• His boast on his blog that 1Malaysia Negaraku concept is the starting point of a new unity among Malaysians of diverse races, religions, languages and cultures.
• His boast that his National Blue Ocean Strategy (NBOS) programme has provided the best services to the people at optimum spending.
• His boast that “Even though my father, grandfather are not from Kerala, I am called the father of Indian community development”.
But Najib had studiously avoid important subjects to Malaysians, for instance, Malaysia turning overnight into a global kleptocracy and the creeping Talibanisation in the country.
Every boast of Najib is open to challenge.
For instance, although Trump called him “friend” and gave him a personal send-off, did Najib raise with Trump, regarded as the most Islamophobic US President in American history, the issue of Muslim ban, the 91 per cent increase in hate crimes against Muslims under Trump’s presidency, etc.
How can the 1Malaysia Negaraku concept be the new dawn for unity and solidarity among Malaysians when the Najib government has itself abandoned the 1Malaysia slogan and policy since the BN loss of majority voter support in the 13th General Election in May 2013, allowing extremisn, intolerance and bigotry to rear their ugly heads with racial and religious polarisiation in the worst stage today in the past 60 years of the nation’s history?
How can Najib claim success for the National Blue Ocean Strategy when Malaysia has overnight become a global kleptocracy; with Kedai Malaysia 1Malaysia (KRIM) shops to benefit low-income urban Malaysians with basic necessities sold at 30 to 50 per cent lower prices than at other supermarkets are closing down one by one; and the economic crisis faced by 100,000 Felda settlers and 700,000 PTPTN defaulters – while Najib bore gifts to the White House worth RM60 billion to strengthen the American economy?
Najib’s claim to be the “father of Indian community development” is also most controversial.
I commend Najib for standing his ground on the appointment of Datuk T. Subromaniam as the Customs Department Director-General as he is the most senior and most qualified.
But when the Prime Minister has to be involved in such appointments, standing his ground or otherwise, something has gone very wrong with the system of public appointments.
Does it mean that the “three wise men” system, where the Chief Secretary, the head of the Public Services Department, and the Secretary-General of the Finance Ministry were supposed to collectively decide on all senior public appointments wisely without any interference or discrimination, had broken down as to require a Prime Minister to intervene?
Furthermore, the issue of the controversy over the appointment of T. Subromaniam as Customs Department DG has thrown light on the lack of Indian and non-Malay Ketua Setiausaha (KSUs) and other senior positions in the public service.
What should rank as a major national concern is the creeping Talibanisation in the country.
Najib’s brother, CIMB Group chairperson Datuk Seri Nazir Razak has joined the chorus of condemnation against a laundrette in Muar, Johor, which limits its services to Muslims only, saying:
“This is very troubling. We have to curb such extremism if we are to build a peaceful and progressive multicultural Malaysia.
“This must be a misinterpretation of Islamic teaching.”
Johor prince Tunku Idris Sultan Ibrahim also voiced similar concerns yesterday.
Perlis mufti Mohd Asri Zainul Abidin described the move by the laundrette as “narrow-minded”, saying that the practice ran contrary to the teachings of Islam, which do not seek to burden the lives of its adherents.
But why has the Prime Minister who promoted the Global Movement of Moderates (GMM) at the United Nations General Assembly in three speeches, kept his silence?
Is this a further confirmation that Najib’s GMM has proven to be not global, not a movement and not moderate?
The recent furore over the Better Beer Festival in Kuala Lumpur has not enhanced Malaysia’s reputation as a moderate nation, particular where the Police has to be dragged in so that security or terrorist threat could be cited as a reason for the Kuala Lumpur City Hall ban. What the police authorities did not realise is that such lame excuse cast a most unfavourable impression on the efficiency, competence and professionalism of the Malaysian Police.
What is Najib doing to pull Malaysia back from the trajectory of Talibanisation which would cause division and disunity in multi-racial, multi-religious and multi-cultural Malaysia as well violate the fundamental nation-building principles in the Malaysian Constitution.