The Malaysian Trojan Horse

ARCHIVES 2013

By admin-s On Apr 29, 2013

Constructed by professional public relations firm like APCO with the help of a very compliant broadcast and printing mass media industry.

Thomas Fann

In Virgil’s epic poem Aeneid, he told the tale of how the Greeks overcame the fortress city of Troy after laying siege to it for ten years. The Greeks built a giant wooden horse and hid a select team of warriors in it to deceive the Trojans that they have abandoned their battle and presented the city of Troy with a gift – the wooden horse.

Elated with the gift, the Trojans brought the wooden horse into the city to celebrate their victory. That night itself, while the city slept, the Greek warriors came out of the horse, opened the city gate for the Greek army who had returned and they overran the city of Troy. What they failed to achieve through military might in 10 years, they did it in one night through trickery.

The campaign for the hearts and minds of the Malaysian public has officially started in this General Election with the incumbent coalition of Barisan Nasional (BN) throwing everything they have to hold on to power against a formidable coalition called Pakatan Rakyat (PR).

Of all the arsenal they have at their disposal to win this war, perhaps, the most potent one is none other than the caretaker Prime Minister himself, Najib Razak.

Riding on Najib’s personal popularity with the public, said to be around 61 percent by independent pollster Merdeka Centre in February 2013, the Barisan Nasional whose own rating is at 45 percent, decided to make Najib the mascot of their election campaign. It is a no-brainer.

Throughout the country, on the numerous BN’s billboards, printed materials and TV commercials and news, it is Najib’s sweet and gentle smiling face that you see. Never before in the history of general elections in our country has so much been hinged on the persona of a man instead of on the ideals or vision of the party for the country. Visitors to our country could have mistaken us for a US presidential-style democracy instead of a parliamentary-based democracy where the ideals and policies of the contesting parties are more important than the personalities that represent it.

But Najib Razak is a trojan horse, constructed by professional public relations firm like APCO with the help of a very compliant broadcast and printing mass media industry. He has had an extreme makeover which transformed him from an ultra Malay rights politician to one that espouse the inclusive and tolerant values of 1Malaysia.

What is behind this veneer of civility and moderation? Or more importantly, what and who is hiding within this Malaysian trojan horse that is now standing at the gate of Putrajaya, waiting to be ushered in on 5th of May 2013 for the 13th time?