RPK: a precision weapon or a loose cannon?
Sir Wenger Khairy, The Malaysian Insider
Back in 2007/08, Raja Petra Kamarudin’s (RPK) Malaysia Today first-hand exposes on secret government scandals made him the most powerful news personality in the country. He had an unprecedented reach and popularity and his headlines made those in Putrajaya scramble for cover.
Now, after several years of experiencing declining readership and being cast away by his once loyal fan base, RPK has found a renaissance batting on behalf of Najib-Rosmah in the online propaganda news war. We however don’t agree that his change of employment should be considered as a betrayal or anything like that. It is more like RPK moving from one football club to another, like from a Madrid to a Barcelona – and we feel those who foam at the mouth because of this should be treated for rabies.
However, not all of the old hand Umno bloggers are enthralled at their new teammate. Many have openly questioned this decision and are against the decision to enlist RPK’s help, a decision they say is a result of the interference of business personalities in media and propaganda matters.
They are especially uncomfortable with the sensational news that the 1MDB advisor (a.k.a. Datuk Seri Najib Razak) issued a potentially party-splitting “with me or against me” dare as a tool to spread responsibility and culpability of the 1MDB crisis onto the hands of the Cabinet.
Some like the Gelagat Anwar, a blogger who has deep networks in Umno and the government, was especially scathing. He argued that spinning that the Cabinet ministers were caught looking down at their shoes upon hearing the 1MDB advisor’s dare may cause resentment and stoke the embers of a full blown rebellion, which could bring down the Najib government, much the same way it destroyed Gordon Brown’s Labour government.
Gelagat Anwar may have a point. Defence Minister Datuk Seri Hishamuddin Hussein issued the equivalent of a “slap-in-face” endorsement of Najib’s challenge in his tweet, stating that endorsement of the 1MDB plan must be conditional on transparency and accountability.
This so angered RPK that he dared the PM to take action against his cousin on account of his open defiance, going so far as to suggest that the defence minister was soon to be replaced. However, Hishamuddin is no slouch or pushover. He is a political warlord in his own right and a key ally for the prime minister.
Even though the PM’s minders may have been beside themselves with rage upon hearing “the cousin” issue such a statement, nevertheless it is quite something else for them to publicly attack the defence minister through RPK.
Hishamuddin was just clarifying the issue for the PM. 1MDB is his mess, he should deal with with it.
The only one busy making waves and issuing “tweets” is the Sabahan Datuk Abdul Rahman Dahlan, a political newbie. Rahman has doubled up his bets on supporting Najib and his handling of the 1MDB crisis. Over the weekend, he issued boastful statements that the 1MDB investment “units” is actually worth US$2 billion and the fund will register a profit of RM5–6 billion under the Datuk Seri Husni Hanadzlah plan.
Rahman was the only one to make such a boastful statement. Even the man presumed to have the most details, Husni, was evasive and non-committal when pressed about details of his plan. Other powerful ministers like Datuk Seri Ahmad Zahid Hamidi, Tan Sri Muhiyiddin Yassin, Datuk Ismail Sabri and Khairy Jamaluddin have been quiet as well.
Perhaps RPK could reflect on this observation and a point noted by ex-information minister, Tan Sri Zainuddin Maidin, who cautioned the prime minister from seeking support from “rubbish”, lest he be dragged down with the rubbish itself.
