Clearly, former Prime Minister, Datuk Sri Najib Razak is going for broke as if the Cameron Highlands by-election on Saturday will fjnally decide his political future.
In a sense, this is true, for with Najib as the campaigner-in-chief in the Cameron Highlands by-election, completely overshadowing the BN candidate Ramli Mohd Nor, the acting UMNO President, Hasan Mohd and the Pahang Mentri Besar, Wan Rosdy Wan Ismail, Najib has made the by-election a most personal one – and an unprecedented defeat in Cameron Highlands by-eletion (as BN has never been defeated in Cameron Highlands before) will be a death knell for any possibility of his political comeback again as Prime Minister of Malaysia in the 15th General Election and legitimisation of 1MDB scandal.
Najib must toyed with the idea of a political comeback for two reasons, viz:
Firstly, that if Tun Dr. Mahathir could make a political comeback as Prime Minister, why couldn’t he?
Secondly, returning as Prime Minister again in the 15th General Election by 2023 will grant him immunity and impunity for the criminal charges of corruption, embezzlement and abuse of power which had been slapped on him by the Public Prosecutor, provided his lawyers could drag out final appellate proceedings and his avoid being sent to Sungai Buloh Prison before his political comeback
This is why Najib is back in the Cameron Highlands by-election campaign today for its outcome would literally be a political “life or death” sentence for him.
However, will Najib learn from the example of Malaysia’s celebrity chef Redzuanwan Ismail (Chef Wan), whom I had described as a better role model for the Felda youths than Najib himself.
Chef Wan has apologised to Najib for his “crude language” threatening to slap the former Prime Minister for Felda’s financial troubles, but he stood by his scathing comments against Najib.
Chef Wan said: “To DS Najib this morning, I apologise openly for the coarse language that I used when I was at my angriest!
“But if we make a big mistake, we must swallow our pride to admit our mistakes as I have done this morning. Yes, I admit I was wrong when I was possessed by the devil and got angry.”
Similarly, will Najib’s return to the Cameron Highlands by-election campaign circuit today be marked by his public apology for his three greatest failures as the sixth Prime Minister of Malaysia – firstly, the monstrous 1MDB scandal and Malaysia being condemned by the world as a global kleptocracy; secondly, betrayal of his father, Tun Razak’s vision of Felda and the interests of Felda settlers and thirdly, his failure to bring the 200,000 Orang Asli to the national mainstream of development sixty years after Merdeka?
This is why a group of second generation Felda settlers are rooting for a Pakatan Harapan win in the Cameron Highlands by-election, saying it is the only way to end the years of intimidation by Barisan Nasional.
The group, led by Mohd Nor Afandi Daud, 54, along with 14 others, are urging other second generation Felda settlers to join their cause, assuring them that the scare tactics of the previous government could no longer hurt them.
What has Najib got to say about the aspiration of the second-generation Felda settlers?
(Media Statement by DAP MP for Iskandar Puteri Lim Kit Siang at Kampong Raja, Cameron Highlands on Wednesday, 23rd January 2019)
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Kenyataan Media oleh Ahli Parlimen DAP Iskandar Puteri Lim Kit Siang di Kampung Raja, Cameron Highlands pada Rabu, 23 Januari 2019: Najib berusaha keras untuk menyelamatkan BN daripada tewas buat kali pertama di Cameron Highlands yang merupakan penentu kepada “hidup dan mati” karier politiknya
Bekas Perdana Menteri, Datuk Seri Najib Razak berusaha keras dalam kempen Pilihan Raya Kecil (PRK) Cameron Highlands seolah-olah ia adalah penentu kepada kelangsungan politik beliau.
Ini jelas apabila Najib selaku ketua kempen BN bagi PRK Cameron Highlands dilihat menenggelamkan peranan calon BN Ramli Mohd Nor, pemangku Presiden UMNO, Mohamad Hasan dan Menteri Besar Pahang Wan Rosdy Wan Ismail dalam PRK berkenaan. Najib meletakkan agenda peribadinya dalam PRK berkenaan – kekalahan kali pertama BN di Cameron Highlands (BN tidak pernah tewas di Cameron Highlands sebelum ini) akan mematikan langkah beliau untuk beraksi semula di pentas politik, apatah lagi kembali untuk menjadi Perdana Menteri Malaysia selepas Pilihan Raya Umum ke-15 (PRU15) dan menghalalkan segala skandal membabitkan 1MDB.
Idea berkenaan, sudah tentu bermain-main di fikiran Najib atas dua sebab, iaitu:
Pertama, jika Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad boleh kembali menjadi Perdana Menteri, mengapa tidak beliau?
Kedua, kembali menjadi Perdana Menteri selepas PRU15 akan membuka ruang dan peluang untuknya membebaskan diri daripada tuduhan jenayah membabitkan rasuah, penyelewengan dan salah guna kuasa. Ini dapat dilihat menerusi tindakan peguamnya yang sengaja mahu menangguhkan proses perbicaraan ke atas Najib dan mengelakkan anak guamnya itu daripada dihumban ke Penjara Sungai Buloh sebelum cita-cita politiknya tercapai.
Inilah sebabnya mengapa Najib bermati-matian berkempen di Cameron Highlands – kerana keputusan pada Sabtu nanti akan menentukan “hidup dan mati” karier politiknya.
Pun begitu, adakah Najib bersedia untuk belajar daripada chef selebriti Malaysia Redzuawan Ismail (Chef Wan), individu yang saya anggap sebagai contoh ikutan terbaik buat peneroka Felda berbanding Najib.
Chef Wan memohon maaf kepada Najib atas penggunaan bahasa kasar terhadap bekas Perdana Menteri itu. Anak kelahiran Felda Sungai Koyan itu sebelum ini dilaporkan mahu menampar muka Najib ekoran masalah kewangan yang menyelubungi Felda ketika ini.
Kata Chef Wan menerusi akaun Instagram miliknya: “To DS Najib pagi ini saya memohon maaf secara terbuka kerana bahasa yang kasar saya telah gunakan di waktu saya merasa amat marah!
“Tetapi jika kita buat kesalahan yang besar kita mesti telan maruah diri kita untuk mengaku kesilapan diri kita as i have done this morning. Yes saya mengaku saya silap bila dirasuk syaitan dan naik marah!”
Adakah Najib bersedia untuk membuat permohonan maaf secara terbuka seperti mana Chef Wan, atas tiga kegagalan terbesar beliau semasa menjadi Perdana Menteri keenam, iaitu pertama, skandal 1MDB dan akibat terpaksa ditanggung oleh Malaysia ekoran digelar oleh masyarakat dunia sebagai kleptokrasi global, kedua, pengkhianatan terhadap visa Felda yang diasaskan bapanya Tun Razak serta kepentingan peneroka Felda dan ketiga, kegagalan beliau untuk membawa 200,000 Orang Asli ke dalam arus perdana pembangunan negara sejak 60 tahun merdeka?
Inilah sebabnya mengapa kumpulan generasi kedua peneroka Felda menyatakan sokongan terhadap Pakatan Harapan pada PRK Cameron Highlands dan merasakan ia adalah satu-satunya cara untuk menamatkan segala ugutan BN terhadap peneroka Felda sejak bertahun-tahun lamanya.
Kumpulan berkenaan, yang diketuai oleh Mohd Nor Afandi Daud, 54, bersama-sama 14 yang lain, menggesa agar generasi kedua peneroka Felda untuk turut serta dalam perjuangan mereka, malah menyakinkan mereka bahawa taktik menakut-nakutkan kerajaan terdahulu tidak akan lagi menjejaskan periuk nasi mereka.
Apa pandangan Najib tentang aspirasi generasi kedua peneroka Felda ini?