I admit this is not the first time I am telling you this story I am about to tell you and that I have repeated this story many times over the last five years or so. But I am sure many of you did not notice the story before this, or have forgotten it (plus I enjoy saying ‘I told you so’).
So here goes.
First read the news report below that quotes Zainuddin Maidin a.k.a. Zam, Malaysia’s Paul Joseph Goebbels (or at least he thinks he is), the man who shouted on Al Jazeera TV back in 2007 that Malaysia has erections every five years so that means Malaysia is a democratic country. (If that is the criteria for democracy then I am democratic at least ten times a day).
I know what some of you are about to say. Where is the proof? Angan-angan, the PKR people will scream.
Okay, then my good friend Fatty Bala of Bangsar can testify to what I am about to tell you. Bala is a Pakatan Rakyat hardcore supporter who campaigned for Nurul Izzah Anwar in two elections. Bala started his political ‘career’ back in 1969 when V. David contested the Bangsar seat (now called Lembah Pantai). So Bangsar Bala is an old cock in politics.
I brought Bala (and a few other Pakatan Rakyat chaps) to this Umno meeting so that he can see with his own eyes and hear with his own ears what they were going to discuss — and as a member of Nurul’s campaign team he needs to know what the other side is planning. (Isn’t that what Sun Tzu said?). It was actually an open meeting, not a closed-door meeting.
Just to digress a bit, at that meeting, one Umno chap stood up and said that the only way to save Umno would be to bring Anwar Ibrahim back into Umno. Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad, Mukhriz, and Khir Toyo, who were on the stage, sat there flabbergasted. This was clearly an insult to Dr Mahathir (even though this Umno chap did not realise that and suggested this in what he thought was all sincerity).
Three or four Umno chaps stood up and grabbed this chap by the throat and dragged him outside where they beat him up and kicked him when he fell to the ground. One of Bangsar Bala’s chaps (a Malay guy) followed them outside and stopped the Umno chaps from killing this poor and hapless chap who just lay on the ground and groaned.
It was a good thing (for that Umno chap at least) that we were there that day. Even though it was a few Umno chaps beating up another Umno chap we could not just stand there and do nothing. If it were one-to-one then we would have placed bets instead. But a crowd against one man is not cricket, as what the English would say. I have no problems with fistfights as long as it is a fair fight. In fact, I enjoy a good fistfight once in awhile myself.
Anyway, back to my main story. What was discussed that day was that the next Prime Minister (after Abdullah Ahmad Badawi, that is) would have a ‘Council’ of advisers. The next/new Prime Minister will run the country ‘guided’ by this Council.
And that was why Najib Tun Razak was chosen as Prime Minister over Tengku Razaleigh Hamzah a.k.a. Ku Li. I know this because Ku Li personally told me that he rejects the idea of a Council running the country with the Prime Minister, as Ku Li said, as a mere puppet.
This was what Abdullah Ahmad Badawi a.k.a. Pak Lah agreed to in 2002 and that was why on 1st November 2003 he was appointed Malaysia’s Prime Minister. However, after taking over, he went back on his word and told Dr Mahathir in not so many words to go and stuff it (and he said it publicly as well, if you can remember). And that was why Dr Mahathir brought him down five-six years later (it took Dr Mahathir three years to bring down Pak Lah).
So, to become the successor to Pak Lah, you must first agree that there will be a Council above you telling you how to run Malaysia. Ku Li said ‘piss off’. Najib (I suspect) said okay and I suspect so because if he had also said ‘piss off’ then Muhyiddin Yassin would have become the Prime Minister instead (just an educated guess).
But the Council is no longer happy with Najib. According to what Dr Mahathir said (which was reported by the media), Najib is giving in too much to the Chinese (and yet the Chinese still do not vote Barisan Nasional) whereas the Malays (who vote Barisan Nasional) are being neglected.
Najib is trying too hard to become a liberal or libertarian (whether successfully or not is another matter). Malay politics is rightist politics, not middle-of-the-road politics. So Malays must come first. It is aboutKetuanan Melayu.
Many whack Najib for remaining silent on the Allah issue. The non-Malays are upset with Najiib because of this. In fact, a few days ago, Lim Kit Siang said that Najib’s silence could even be interpreted as his ‘tacit approval’.
In short, Lim Kit Siang wants Najib to speak up and say that it is okay for Christians to use Allah as the name of God in the Malay Bible.
That will be the final nail in Najib’s coffin. All the Council needs now is for Najib to say something regarding the Allah word issue. If he says it is okay for Christians to use Allah in the Malay Bible he is dead. And if he says that Christians cannot use Allah in the Malay Bible he is also dead. Either way, Najib is finished and the Council will take back control of Putrajaya.
So, do you really think this Allah word crisis is about Allah? Do you really think it is about Christians versus Muslims? It is about placing Najib in a spot so that they can go for his jugular and finish him off. Then Najib will be kicked out and the Council will place their man in the Prime Minister’s office.
And, as Zam said, the only way for Najib to restore his power is to make Dr Mahathir his mentor. Get it? Get it? Get it?
Well, Singapore has its Mentor Minister Lee Kuan Yew, and Malaysia will have its Tormentor Minister Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad. Fair what!
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Najib could restore his power – Zainuddin
(KL Post) – Veteran Umno politician Tan Sri Zainuddin Maidin said Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak could restore his power and influence if he makes his former boss, Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad, his mentor, the way Singapore statesman Lee Kuan Yew did for his successors.
The former information minister said Najib should emulate Dr Mahathir’s firmness in handling economic, religious and inter-racial issues.
“Najib can lead but he needs moral support from Dr Mahathir to strengthen his position.”
“This is so that he can continue to lead and succeed in restoring the people’s confidence as well as handle current issues which could surface,” Zainuddin told The Malaysian Insider this week.
Since the general election last year, Najib’s administration has been faced with several critical issues, including restoring the economy as well as racial and religious harmony.
There has been a spike in controversies bordering on race and religion since Najib assumed the premiership, including the ongoing controversy over the use of the word “Allah” by Christians and the various demands by Malay pressure groups.
Zainuddin, the former chief editor of Utusan Malaysia popularly known as Zam, urged Putrajaya to take quick action on the issues raised in order to avoid them getting out of control.
“I think Najib should address the issues that people are not satisfied about with urgency, efficiently and with confidence.”
“He should not let the pressure to prolong, especially from NGOs. But it is because the people don’t see any action from the government that their confidence has waned,” said Zam.
On the increase of prices, which has infuriated the public, Zainuddin said he understood the people’s sentiment, adding that Najib and his government should implement stringent monitoring of the situation rather than ignore it.
“Measures which hit the people’s pockets will usually have reactions.”
“But if the people can be assured through some courageous action, for instance, taking action against business owners who exploited and fiddled with the prices of goods, then people will appreciate the problem,” he said, commenting on the increase in prices of goods which has had a huge impact on ordinary citizens.
The domino effect from the increase in the prices of fuel, electricity tariff, water and sugar has led to a series of price hikes for other goods.
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