Najib: Judge me by my actions
By Chua Sue-Ann, The Edge
Newly appointed Umno president Datuk Seri Najib Razak sought to quash rumours surrounding his alleged involvement in corruption scandals and the murder of a Mongolian woman, ahead of his expected swearing in as prime minister next month.
Speaking at a press conference today, Najib declined to answer questions on how the negative perception of him would affect his leadership of the party and nation, appealing for journalists and people not to "pre-judge him".
Najib said all the allegations against him were "malicious, baseless lies" that were part of an "opposition ploy", adding that he would be able to manage them.
"Judge me by my actions. Don't judge me on rumours and baseless lies.
"This is not fair. As a journalist, you must uphold principles of fairness," Najib said, adding that his actions had yet to be seen as he had not taken office yet.
Najib also refused to respond to fears that he would likely clamp down on democratic space and press freedom.
When asked, Najib disagreed that the three by-elections were referendums on the Barisan Nasional coalition and that the results were not representative of the nation's sentiments as only the general elections were.
On the outside of the press conference, Najib pre-empted questions on the power transition, telling reporters to wait until outgoing prime minister Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi has an audience with the Agong on April 2.
The power transition from Abdullah to Najib has been shrouded by rumours that the former would not be stepping down soon.
