Let’s not get personal, just stick to the facts, ‘witty’ Najib tells PH leaders

Robin Augustin, Free Malaysia Today

As he walks in, Najib Razak cuts a casual figure, alone and in a white shirt and slacks, something unimaginable just a year ago when he would have been dressed formally and had a slew of bodyguards and aides by his side.

These days, it is easy for anyone to get close enough to the former prime minister to snap a selfie or shake his hand, as evidenced most recently on his trip to a hypermarket in Semenyih, where swarms of people rushed to get a glimpse of him.

The Pekan MP, arguably the opposition’s most vocal member now, has turned into a social media phenomenon in recent months, trolling government leaders with his Facebook posts, taunts, and jokes.

This raises the question of where this version of Najib Razak was hiding in the past.

“The real Najib Razak is quite easy going, down to earth and has a sense of humour,” Najib told FMT, adding that it was his “formal persona” which came across more when he was prime minister.

“Now that I have more time on my hands, I can develop the informal side of me, and I can see that the Malaysian public likes it.”

He described how when he was prime minister, his security detail would make sure he was well guarded and that people could not touch him when taking photos.

But as much as Najib’s posts aim to make people laugh, he is clear that he isn’t just out to troll Pakatan Harapan for the fun of it.

“I believe I should put across facts and figures, simply because in the past, when I was prime minister, I was the victim of slander, lies and personal character assassination.”

He says he does not wish to inflict on others what he went through, and this is why he believes in being a responsible opposition member who sticks to the facts.

“In a way, we are educating the public, letting them make their own decision as to who is right and who is wrong, what is the truth and what is fabricated,” he said.

As evidence, he cited his calls to Putrajaya to reveal the IPIC-1MDB settlement agreements and to substantiate the claim that the construction of the ECRL will only cost some RM30 billion.

He also dismissed the notion that his posts are only shared by cyber troopers, saying neither he nor Barisan Nasional has any cyber troopers.

Post GE14, BN felt it should connect with the people in a more organic way as this would allow the party to better determine whether the people really supported them, he said.

On whether he regrets not engaging with the people as he does now when he was PM, Najib says he does.

When he was PM, he said, he gave his full attention to running the government, managing the economy, and delivering transformation plans.

“And we delivered. We brought real transformation and change to the country, but I probably spent too little time answering directly all the allegations against me. I left that to others, but I think now the public wanted me to be in the forefront.”

He says he does not know if the outcome of GE14 would have been different if he had taken his current approach.

Despite social media wishes for him to become PM once more, Najib says he has no plans for this but rather wants to focus on being a constructive opposition member, and refuting the scurrilous allegations levelled against him.

“I have been the victim of political maneuverings. That kind of politics is not healthy, so let’s concentrate on giving the public the basis to decide in a rational and calm manner what is good for the country.”

On the view held by some that he has slowed down on attacking the Prime Minister, Najib said that when he was leading the government and Mahathir the opposition, politics dictated that they should engage with each other.

“I never wanted it to be personal between myself and Dr Mahathir,” he said, adding he always wanted to confine their battle more to policies.

“Our relationship goes back a long way and I am grateful to him for making me deputy prime minister and supporting me when I was PM.”

Najib said he would prefer that their differences are over policy. This is why he has not attacked Mahathir personally.

“I have been critical of some of his policies, which I think is fair,” he says.

“I hope more BN leaders will come to the fore and play their part as constructive opposition members.”