Can it get any worse for Najib?
Najib has largely ignored calls for the application of the rule of law, adherence to the Constitution, the allegations on human rights abuses, the crackdown on critics of the government and his failure to stop the hounding of the press.
Mariam Mokhtar, FMT
The last six months have been a nightmare for Najib Abdul Razak. The normally reticent prime minister acted with surprising speed, in Malaysia’s season of discontent. Najib’s crisis, and questions about his leadership, appeared to snowball from the time he reluctantly returned home from a golfing holiday with Barack Obama, to the current questions about his involvement in the 1Malaysia Development Berhad (1MDB) saga.
Family members of those in public office rarely involve themselves, or spring to the defence of the public figure, but Najib’s brother felt compelled to add his voice to the debate.
Malaysians were surprised by the sacking of Deputy PM, Muhyiddin Yassin. The stunt sent shock waves through the Malay community and one Malay, in her sixties, said, “Muhyiddin’s sacking is unprecedented. We didn’t think Najib had the guts for this.”
A Malay student, in her early twenties, said, “Muhyiddin is harmless. He did not deserve this treatment from Najib.”
As Najib appears to barricade himself behind a seemingly impenetrable fortress of men and women who are loyal to him, we ask if it can get any worse for him, and is his position safe? Was Muhyiddin’s “landmark sacking”, a desperate tactic to plug the sinking ship called ‘Putrajaya’? The seven reasons below are proof that Najib’s prospects of holding on to power are slim, unless he takes further drastic action.
1. Out of touch with reality
The Malays were once ruled by Sultans whose rule was absolute. The ruler decided what was best for his subjects. The ruler was frequently out of touch with public opinion, because he surrounded himself with sycophants. He led an elitist life and tended to ignore the suffering of the masses. Najib’s governance looks very much like the sultans of old.
2. Loyalty of his cabinet
There is validity in forming a cabinet of politicians who are loyal to Najib, and who will help sweep the nation’s problems under the carpet. Is his premiership safe for now? There are many ways of measuring loyalty. Will the loyalty, of his ministers and Umno-Baru divisional heads be sold, and who will be the bidder?
3. The 4Rs of race, religion, royalty and rural people
For decades Umno-Baru used divisive tactics to manipulate the people according to race, religion and loyalty to king and country. Bumiputera votes matter.
In 21st century Malaysia, Malays are more exposed to the world, are more educated, are widely travelled and many have shed their ‘serf-and-baron’ mentality. They are not afraid to speak their mind and mean what they say.
The rural people are beginning to shed their image of docility, especially as their pockets are hurting.
Yesterday, the Johore crown prince, Tunku Ismail Sultan Ibrahim, raised eyebrows with his post on Facebook that he would “never support a person inside the Football Association of Malaysia (FAM), or any organisation that is corrupt”.
4. Najib’s handling of the economy
It is widely known that many businesses are closing down across the nation, so Najib cannot ignore the calls to curb public spending and implement measures to save the economy. The GST (Goods and Services Tax), corruption, wastage of public money, the drop in global oil price, the import of cheap labour and the falling value of the ringgit have prompted calls for more stringent measures to be taken, but Najib, as the Finance minister is not listening.
