Najib a very good student of Dr Mahathir, says Musa Hitam
(The Malaysian Insider) – Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib’s determination to cling onto power despite being criticised from all sides shows he is a very good student of his most vocal critic, Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamed, said Tun Musa Hitam.
Musa, who served as Umno’s number two when Dr Mahathir was in power, said the former prime minister had similarly refused to admit to any wrongdoings and remained unfazed by the criticism that dogged his tenure.
“You can read the blogs, they call him (Najib) all sorts of name. And I must say this even if some people might not like it: it’s amazing how Najib seems to be taking it so calmly,” Musa told The Malaysian Insider in an exclusive interview at his home.
“Dr Mahathir hits him again and again, but he does not move. He is proving to be a very good Dr Mahathir student. He is putting into practice a lot that Dr Mahathir himself applied (when in power), and is ignoring Dr Mahathir.”
Musa recalled how Dr Mahathir, at the height of his power, had told Musa that admitting a mistake was a sign of weakness that would allow their opponents to exploit them.
Musa said he had retorted by saying: “No, Mr Prime Minister, admitting a mistake is a sign of courage.”
“Dr Mahathir never admitted to his mistakes, and Najib is learning from Dr Mahathir rather than me,” said Musa, who has known the prime minister since Najib was a young boy.
“He is getting a taste of his own medicine with what Najib is doing now.”
He said the Umno president had failed to provide a satisfactory response on 1Malaysia Development Bhd (1MDB) and the RM2.6 billion “donation”, and seemed to be looking for ways to evade the topics rather than come clean with the public.
He said the Umno general assembly next week was the perfect platform for Najib to be completely transparent on those two issues.
“This is the chance for the president to really come clean. And I dare say that the president, if there are many issues that he might have discovered to be a mistake, (he should) just say ‘I’m sorry, it was a mistake’.
“It’s as simple as that, especially within the context of Malay tradition and our religious teaching. We are ordinary human beings, of course we will make mistakes,” Musa said.
Below are excerpts from the interview:
