Najib’s ‘Instant Noodle’ Reform
On his first day as the prime minister, Najib announced the release of 13 ISA detainees. He had promised to comprehensively review the NEP. Two days before the polling date, he announced his 1Malaysia grand vision, like other premiers before him did.
Najib's PR team (an expensively assembled team comprises of editorial heads and ex-heads of various MSM) was desperate to turn around his image as an iron fisted autocrat. Unfortunately, like his predecessor Abdullah, Najib's initiative was neutralised by yet another poorly taken strategy to embrace Mahathir so quickly and warmly.
If Najib wanted to lose the 'autocratic image', the last thing he should do is to build an alliance with Mahathir so quickly. Mahathir's 22 years legacy had very little to do with the respect for democracy, human rights, respect for the rule of law and accountability. Mahathir treated Malaysians as gullible and naive.
Mahathir's achievements e.g. physical and industrial development were largely bought with Malaysia's hard earned oil money. What did Malaysia gain technically from the mega projects such as KLCC, Penang bridge, Proton, Bakun and many others? Have we mastered the technology to build our own cars which are competitive worldwide? Under his leadership, the quality of other soft areas e.g. education, public institutions and others has declined.
Najib has chosen the wrong pop star to align himself with. Mahathir may be treated like a pop star in UMNO but not among middle ground Malaysians.
