When we published Part 1 of this topic about the possible return of Najib at the helm a couple of days ago, we had a number of unsavoury comments by readers who were not able to counter our points objectively. It’s true what Mahathir said, Malaysians are uneducated. Let’s see if they can counter our points below with a bit more intelligence. – Kamarudin Ahmad
The Double Standards Of Some Malaysians
Part 1 of this article drew as many criticisms as there were agreements from netizens. The objections to former Prime Minister Najib Razak coming back to lead the country was mainly due to the SRC TRIAL where Najib was convicted by the High Court and later lost the appeal in the Court of Appeal.
However the appeal to the Federal Court is still pending. In this regard the SRC TRIAL can be regarded as ONGOING until such time the appeal to the Federal Court had been heard. Netizens failed to see this legal point and condemned Najib while the SRC TRIAL IS STILL ONGOING.
The same group of netizens displayed an entirely different behaviour towards Lim Guan Eng who was appointed Chairman of DAP despite facing an ongoing criminal prosecution at the High Court in Jalan Duta. It’s a corruption case instituted by SPRM related to the infamous Penang Tunnel Project.
Why Not The Same Consideration For Najib?
Najib’s SRC TRIAL is still ongoing just like the Penang Tunnel Trial and yet, we hear loud protests when some NGO proposed that Najib come back to lead the country. If Lim Guan Eng facing a corruption trial can be appointed DAP Chairman, why can’t Najib be given the same kind of treatment? If Anwar who has gone to prison can be considered for the PM job WHY NOT NAJIB? WHY THE DOUBLE STANDARD WHEN IT COMES TO NAJIB?
We all know now that actions of the judges and the judiciary have got us wondering if everything is not as it seems when it comes to the 1MDB and SRC trials. Too many loopholes, questionable background stories about the judges and involvement of our national and commercial banks in the whole debacle.
Nevertheless, at least Najib has got nine years of achievements as PM when the country grew by leaps and bounds. Anwar has not even served a day as PM in Putrajaya, and yet PH supporters touted Anwar as next PM, keeping a blind eye to his years in prison.
Harping the 1MDB issue is a futile exercise by the Opposition. The country needs a TRIED AND TESTED LEADER to lead the country out of the economic doldrums. A leader who can build bridges with the economic power in the likes of CHINA and SAUDI ARABIA. And past track records have shown that capable experienced leader is Najib.
The Romance Of The Three Kingdoms
CHINA and SAUDI ARABIA had a special relationship with MALAYSIA during Najib’s days as sixth PM of Malaysia. The benefits to our country were tremendous. His super close relationship with China began with the efforts of his father, the late Tun Abdul Razak who first established diplomatic ties with China. Since those days, Najib has fostered closer ties with China.
The ONE BELT ONE ROAD initiative targeted our country as the largest recipient of investments from China. Large number of companies invested in infrastructure projects including the East Coast Railway Line. And many invested in property developments such as Forest City in Johor, Projek Bandar Malaysia, Kuantan Industrial Park and Melaka Gateway project among others. Malaysian companies benefited from the presence of Chinese investments in Malaysia. Not to mention the resultant benefits to Bursa Malaysia, ringgit currency and higher commodity prices. For this we thank Najib for having the foresight as PM to bring closer diplomatic and economic relations between Malaysia and China.
Saudi Arabia is another economic power from the Middle East. Najib had a close relationship with all the Saudi Rulers and managed to get the largest Saudi petroleum company ARAMCO to invest billions in petroleum projects in Malaysia. Further benefits included the increase in quota of pilgrims to Mecca. And the King Salman Center for International Peace (KSCIP) was set up in Malaysia only to be gleefully shut down by the PH gov’t without any reason given.
Alas the strategic advantage with China and Saudi Arabia came crashing down when Pakatan Harapan won GE14. The then Minister of Finance quarrelled with China, PH leaders preferred to fight with China rather than building bridges as Najib did. The ECRL and the FOREST CITY projects were under attack. The High Speed Rail project to Singapore was cancelled. The PH Federal gov’t days saw sour relationship with China. Malaysia was the biggest loser in the poor diplomatic policy of the doomed PH Government.
The Uneducated Malaysians
Tun Mahathir coined the phrase “Uneducated Malaysians” after PH won the 14th General Election in May 2018. The victory of PH is mainly attributed to this large group of “Uneducated Malaysians” who swallowed lock, stock and barrel the PH propaganda during the GE14 campaign. They believed that MALAYSIA WILL GO BANKRUPT. They believed that a hotchpotch of opposition parties with inexperienced leaders would be able to SAVE MALAYSIA FROM (the imagined) BANKRUPTCY. They threw out the well-proven BN gov’t for the sky high promises of the PH candidates. They were mesmerized by the Election Manifesto of PH which turned out to be a blueprint for some of the biggest lies in the country. SERVE THEM RIGHT. THE PH GOVERNMENT FAILED TO FULFILL THEIR ELECTION MANIFESTO, save one: Abolition of the much-needed GST.
Incapable people were appointed to the Cabinet. Lim Guan Eng as Minister of Finance kept harping on National Debt at RM 1 TRILLION when in actual fact the figure was much lower – to the tune of RM 686 Billion (plus, minus). The 1 TRILLION NATIONAL DEBT frightened investors. Many pulled out their funds from Malaysia.
Downfall Of Malaysia
To make matters worse, the then Minister of Finance had a fallout with China. He was not even allowed to enter the country at that time! The services of many government employees were terminated on the pretext of their close affiliations with previous BN Gov’t. The 1MDB witch hunt was the focus of the PH Gov’t. The exodus of foreign investors in fear of the uncertainty under PH Gov’t created the DOWNFALL OF MALAYSIA FROM ITS EXALTED HEIGHT OF THE BN DAYS.
The stock market suffered a major loss of over RM 200 Billion which was wiped out in just a matter of months after PH took over the Federal Gov’t. Bank Negara Malaysia had to pump in RM 60 Bilion to save the Malaysian Currency (Ringgit) from crashing down. The Malaysian Gov’t lost annual revenue of RM 2O Billion when GST was replaced with SST. Major national assets were on a fire sale because the Federal Gov’t was short of funds and clueless about how to manage the finances.
All in all, the short spell PH Government was responsible for the loss of over RM 300 Billion in a matter of 22 months. And all because “Uneducated Malaysians” were making a big fuss about RM 2.6 Billion found in Najib’s bank account. They dumped a BN gov’t that gave the B40s RM 1,000 BRIM yearly in exchange for PH Gov’t’s RM 30 yearly credited via e-wallet which not many rural folks know how to use it, let alone possess the app. A PRIMA FACIE ACT OF UNEDUCATED MALAYSIANS.
Is Najib An Angel Or A Devil?
In order to find the answer to this question we need to revisit the nine years starting from 2009 that Najib, currently the MP for Pekan, served as the sixth PM of Malaysia.
The country had strong economic growth, Bursa Malaysia was at its all time high, infrastructure projects were rolling out. The GLCs were doing well with billions in their coffers. Overall Malaysians had a good life under Najib.
With the main purpose of giving the people a better life in a harmonious multi racial society Najib launched his 1MALAYSIA policy. The people received cash aids in the form of BR1M (for the lower income group). Klinik 1Malaysia where Malaysians only need to pay RM1 for medical consultancy and medication, were set up all over the country. Students received book vouchers. Taxi drivers were given financial assistance. And many more where that came from.
TELL ME, ARE THESE THE WORKS OF AN ANGEL OR THE DEVIL? No matter what Najib did, the Opposition will always paint him as a Devil. To DAP supporters, Najib has been a devil right from day one he stepped into Putrajaya.
That’s the politics of DAP, feeding racially divisive propaganda to the Chinese community.
However, REALITY HAS SET IN WITH THE COVID-19 PANDEMIC. The Chinese community only realised what an angel Najib has been. That he is not the devil painted by DAP.
Is it too little, too late? That’s left to be seen. Perhaps there should be a RCI on the judges and other parties involved in the 1MDB trials. That, my friends, deserve another article on another day. – New Malaysia Herald
About the writer: Kamarudin Ahmad is a social activist and a lawyer by profession and occasionally writes for the New Malaysia Herald (NMH). The points expressed in this article are that of the writer’s and do not necessarily reflect the stand of NMH.
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