Tun Dr M Blames DS Najib For Bersih 4.0

Tun Dr M at a function in Pasir Gudang, Johor on the afternoon of Saturday, 29 August 2015, as the Bersih 4.0 gathering gains momentum at and around Kuala Lumpur's Merdeka Square, lays the blame squarely on the shoulders of DS Najib Tun Razak for the most recent Bersih demonstration. In his keynote speech, he laments that he does not usually agree with street demonstrations as there are more proper channels to resolve issues. However, in the case of Bersih 4.0, it has arisen and gained support as all channels to resolve issues have been blocked!

In Malay, Tun declares,"You report to the police to have crimes investigated, suddenly the one reporting is investigated!" Continuing in this vein, Tun Dr M decries the recent moves by DS Najib to shore up his political position, including the sacking of the AG TS Abdul Gani Patail and forced holidays, movements and retirements of members of the Malaysia Anti-Corruption Commission and the Police Special Branch to curtail efforts to prosecute the Prime Minister for financial crimes, linked to the 1MDB scandal.

Explaining the anger resulting in such strong support for the Bersih 4.0 rally, he encapsulates the anger and shame brought upon the nation by DS Najib's confession of receiving RM2.6B into his private accounts as a 'political donation', a claim thoroughly disbelieved by a majority of Malaysians. Reflecting on the suspicions in the minds of most Malaysians, he says,"Never before has a Prime Minister stolen any money... oh no, not steal, 'donation'." This anger towards blatant corruption at the highest levels of government Tun Dr M fears will lead to BN losing the next General Elections (PRU14).

Tun Dr M clearly zooms into the need to remove from office the person at the centre of the country's political and currency crisis, referring to DS Najib's use of the vulgar Malay word Bangsat recent,"Yang nak membangsatkan bukan UMNO, tetapi orang ini! ... Anda pergi, maka selesai segala-galanya..." In line with this, replying to a question by a retrenched MAS stewardess on whether she should continue to vote BN at the next elections, Tun Dr M replies,"Kita nak BN menang, tapi kita nak Najib kalah", laying the responsibility of rejecting DS Najib on his constituencies in Pekan, Pahang to 'save the country' from the sitting Prime Minister.

As DS Najib frets about Bersih 4.0, it is the gathering in Johor that will likely snowball towards his eventual removal from office, as UMNO's stalwarts plan to gather in KL, in growing wrath, for its General Assembly in the hundreds of thousands later in the year...

Saya Rasa Tak Bangsat, Anda Bagaimana?

Setelah memberi pengertian baru kepada istilah 'derma' beberapa bulan lepas yang telah menjadikannya sensasi tak diingini sekali lagi di peringkat antarabangsa, DS Najib tempohari di Perasmian Mesyuarat Agung Bahagian Padang Besar, Arau dan Kangar mengisytiharkan pengertian baru bagi terma 'bangsat'. Bangsat menurut beliau adalah mana-mana orang Melayu yang tidak bernaung di bawah pemerintahan kerajaan yang dipimpin UMNO...

Kita tolak ke tepi dahululah terjemahan yang keterlaluan kerana tidak mahulah kita memikirkan DS Najib mengisytiharkan seluruh bangsa Melayu di Indonesia, Thailand, Filipina... seluruh nusantaralah, termasuk Madagascar, di mana UMNO tak pernah bertapak sebagai bangsat! Pada masa sama, orang-orang Melayu yang di perantauan seperti Australia, Eropah, Timur Tengah, Amerika... takkanlah semua ini dibangsatkan beliau! Tambah lagi, kita yakin beliau tidak menganggap Melayu yang hidup sebelum UMNO tertubuh atau yang sebelum Merdeka bangsat!

Yang membuat kita berfikir sedikit adalah senario di Singapura di mana dahulunya ada UMNO tetapi ternyata sekarang organisasinya tinggal puing-puing sahaja... adakah ini membangsatkan Melayu Singapura? Hmmm...

Kemudian blogger ini cuba benar-benar memahami kebangsatan menurut DS Najib dengan membuat refleksi terhadap diri sendiri. Blogger ini berdarah Kedah dan Indonesia, lahir di Selangor dan sudah lama tinggal di Segambut, Wilayah Persekutuan. Makanya, ikut darah Kedah, pernahlah blogger ini bangsat pasca PRU12, tetapi kini sudah tak bangsat lagi. Tetapi berdasarkan negeri kelahiran, blogger ini masih bangsat! Namun, lebih mengelirukan lagi, berdasarkan tempat tinggal di mana blogger mengundi, wakil rakyat bukan UMNOnya membangsatkan, tetapi kerajaan persekutuan pimpinan UMNO tidak membangsatkan!?

Macam nilah, blogger ini agak yakin yang kita tak bangsat. Lagipun, DS Najib banyak cakap tak tentu hala sekarang... jadi kalau pembaca merasakan diri juga tak bangsat, jangan risau, kita tak bangsat. Jangan risau tentang taraf kebangsatan anda walau pengundi Selangor, Pulau Pinang, Kelantan, Sarawak (!!!) ... Cuma kita kena betul-betul fikir sekarang siapa yang bangsat... macamlah kita termenung dulu mikir derma ke tak derma... dan 1MDB ni apakebendenya? ...

UMNO Bahagian Langkawi Usul Percepatkan/Batalkan Penundaan Pemilihan Parti

UMNO Bahagian Langkawi pada Mesyuarat Agung Tahunannya semalam, Sabtu, 15 Ogos 2015, telah meluluskan usul yang mendesak agar pemilihan parti dipercepatkan agar dilangsungkan pada 2016 seperti dijadualkan pada asalnya. Usul tersebut sebagai usaha membatalkan keputusan Majlis Tertinggi UMNO (MKT) tempohari untuk menunda pemilihan tersebut selama 18 bulan ke tahun 2018 yakni selepas Pilihanraya Umum ke 14 (PRU14).

Usul Politik yang dibentangkan oleh Hj Basri Hashim, AJK Bahagian Langkawi dari Cawangan Bayas pada asalnya hanyalah menyokong tanpa bebelah bagi menyokong kepimpinan parti. Kemudian apabila menyokong usul tersebut, Marwas Aziz, Setiausaha Cawangan Taman Huma telah mencadangkan penambahan kepada usul, mendesak agar pemilihan parti dipercepatkan. Desakan mempercepatkan pemilihan hujahnya adalah berniat menunjukkan keutuhan sokongan akar-umbi terhadap kepimpinan UMNO Bahagian mahupun Kebangsaan.

Walaupun pada awalnya ada pembahas yang menggesa perwakilan menolak cadangan tambahan usul tersebut, suara tersebut ternyata sumbang apabila para perwakilan berderetan untuk menyokong penambahan usul politik agar pemilihan dipercepatkan. Akhirnya, Pengerusi Tetap terpaksa menasihatkan perwakilan yang masih ingin berkongsi pendapat berkenaan usul tersebut membawa hujah mereka ke penangguhan dan usul politik diluluskan sebulat-suara dengan penambahan usul yakni agar pemilihan parti dipercepatkan.

Mesyuarat Agung Bahagian Langkawi telah dirasmikan oleh Datuk Hj Abdul Rahman Dahlan, Ahli MKT UMNO merangkap Menteri Kesejahteraan Bandar, Perumahan dan Kerajaan Tempatan pada sebelah pagi. Dalam ucapan perasmian, beliau telah memberi sedikit-sebanyak penerangan kedudukan kerajaan bersabit skandal 1MDB, isu derma politik RM2.6Billion serta rombakan kabinet tempohari. Namun penjelasan beliau tidak dapat meleraikan kemusykilan perwakilan yang terus meluahkan kegusaran mereka tentang isu-isu tersebut di sesi ucapan penangguhan pada penghujung mesyuarat.

Datuk Abdul Rahman Dahlan tidak menyebut tentang apa-apa hubungan di antara pemecatan Peguam Negara, TS Abdul Gani Patail dengan usaha mengelak DS Najib dari dicaj tentang apa-apa jenayah dalam ucapannya di Langkawi.

Kubu kuat UMNO Barisan Nasional tersebut baru-baru ini dilanda kontroversi apabila klip rakaman ucapan penangguhan di Mesyuarat Agung Wanita Langkawi yang menyerang integriti Perdana Menteri dan Presiden UMNO, DS Najib menjadi viral ke seluruh negara. Mesyuarat Agung Pemuda Langkawi pada 7 Ogos 2015 pula telah meluluskan Usul Politik yang menyarankan DS Najib bercuti rehat sementara isu-isu seperti 1MDB disiasat sehingga selesai demi kebaikan parti.

Mampukah Najib Bertahan Sehingga Perhimpunan Agung UMNO 2015?

Sudah semakin maklum bahawa DS Najib menerima sambutan sopan namun dingin dari perwakilan di Mesyuarat Agung Bahagian Pasir Gudang yang dirasmikannya pada semalam. Walaupun nasihat Ketua Bahagian Pasir Gudang merangkap Menteri Besar Johor Datuk Seri Mohamed Khaled Nordin agar perwakilan berlaku sebagai tuan rumah yang baik terhadap DS Najib sebagai tetamu kehormat amnya dipatuhi, namun ini tidak menghalang para perwakilan untuk menunjukkan rasa tidak puas hati mereka terhadap Perdana Menteri serta Presiden Parti paling dilanda musibah dalam sejarah UMNO.

DS Khaled sendiri telah dengan penuh hormat membuka jalan menunjukkan rasa kurang senang rakyat terhadap kepimpinan BN serta UMNO dengan 3 perkara benar disarung pahit yang disampaikannya sewaktu mengalu-alukan kedatangan DS Najib. Tetapi kejutan terbesar kepada DS Najib sendiri berlaku sewaktu beliau menyampaikan ucapannya, yang tidak disahut walau tepukan gemuruh apatah lagi sorak ketawa seperti pengalaman sebelumnya. Hanya tepuk sopan melayan sahaja dapat diumpannya, malah apabila beliau menanyakan kepada perwakilan sama ada mahukan BR1M diteruskan, ada sahutan,"Tidak!"

Tenyata teori "Cash Is King" yang diamalkan pentadbiran DS Najib hasil nasihat kolot punahsihat-punahsihatnya termasuk dari luar negara sudah mula diisytihar GAGAL oleh akar-umbi UMNO.

DS Najib yang juga nekad mencabar perwakilan sama ada sedia jika beliau mendedahkan segala pekung di dadanya pasti terkesan sekali lagi apabila cabarannya disahut pula dengan laungan,"Dedahlah!"  Tak puas dengan itu, pada penghujung perasmian majlis tersebut, sebuah memorandum yang memintas benteng pengawal peribadi serta punahsihat-punahsihat PMO, telah diserahkan kepadanya. Melalui memorandum tersebut, akar-umbi UMNO Pasir Gudang mengesa agar DS Najib 'berehat' dari jawatan dan mendesak supaya pemilihan parti disegerakan, bukan dilambatkan lagi selama 18 bulan seperti diputuskan MKT UMNO.

Kegelisahan yang disampaikan secara terbuka di Pasir Gudang pasti akan dihadapi berulang-ulang oleh DS Najib dengan nada semakin meruncing sepanjang musim mesyuarat Bahagian UMMO. Malah blogger ini merasakan sudah menjadi hampir terlalu sukar untuk melindungi DS Najib di luar mahupun di pejabat dari suara akar-umbi UMNO seluruh negara yang merintih terhadap kepimpinannya. Di Kedah pula, DS Mukhriz Mahathir, Menteri Besar Kedah, telah menimbulkan persoalan sama tentang perlunya kelancaran siasatan ke atas 1MDB selain mempertahankan TSMY! Sayap-sayap UMNO Langkawi juga mendesak percutian DS Najib!

Soalnya sekarang, sejauh manakah DS Najib sanggup bertahan sebagai Perdana Menteri jika suara-suara halus ini semakin bergabung menjadi tempikan desakan #UndurNajib menjelang turunnya berduyun-duyun ahli-ahli UMNO ke Perhimpuman Agung UMNO (PAU) tahun ini? Berani serta cukup kentalkah jiwanya menghadapi kemungkinan di boo secara terbuka dari luar hingga ke dalam dewan? Sediakah beliau digelar lembap serta 'wajar undur' dari pentas oleh para pembahas usul di PAU mahupun menghadapi laungan "Undur Najib!" yang termungkin menggegarkan Dewan Merdeka PWTC nanti?

Tidak boleh dipersoalkan lagi bahawa Rakyat ternanti-nanti pemergian DS Najib serta yang terdekat dengannya dari tampuk kepimpinan. Tak hairanlah apabila mendengar sambutan Hari Raya DS Najib di Pekan yang kononnya dihadiri 60,000 pengunjung jauh lebih kecil jumlah pengunjungnya berbanding dengan ratusan-ribu yang membanjiri Rumah Terbuka Kementerian Dalam Negeri yang bertuan-rumahkan DS Zahid Hamidi, Timbalan Perdana Menteri baharunya. Rakyat mahukan orang baru sebagai Perdana Menteri dan akar-umbi UMNO kini mendesak mewakili mereka. Kenapakah DS Najib bertahan lagi bila orang dah tak sudi?

Saya syorkan, siapa-siapa yang kebetulan atau tidak bertemu nanti dengan DS Najib, pesan-pesanlah kepada beliau... sudahlah, rehat sahaja... berundur... selagi kami Rakyat masih sedia memaaafkan salah-silapmu..

RM2.6B Confirmed In Najib's Account In Eagerness To Prove Innocence?

The trials and errors in defending DS Najib's position vis-a-vis 1MDB continues with the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (SPRM) inadvertantly confirming through the media that RM2.6B was deposited in what was DS Najib's private account at AM Bank in an apparent rush to prove his innocence! SPRM in a media statement first reported by state media agency Bernama stated that the monies allegedly deposited in DS Najib's account was not from 1MDB but were instead from 'donors'. The faux pas committed here of course if that it is clearly implied that RM2.6B WAS DEPOSITED INTO DS NAJIB'S ACCOUNT... BY DONORS!

It is of interest to some that the statement from SPRM came soon after raids by the police on the offices of the Director and Deputy Director of SPRM itself to investigate so called 'leaks' in the investigation. However, any questions on the timing of the media statement soon after the raid was swiftly and strongly overtaken by accusatory questions across social media, which this blogger believes is mirrored by discussions among Malaysians across every household, coffeeshop, office and cars in traffic jams across the nation such as:

1 - So confirm lah DS Najib got RM 2.6 Billion deposited in his personal account?
2 - From donors? Which donors are these?
3 - Are the donors local or foreign donors?
4 - Donors for what? To fund for elections ka or something else?
5 - If from donors, then why did they deposit it in his personal account?
6 - WHAT DO THE DONORS WANT IN RETURN FOR BEING SO GENEROUS TO DS NAJIB?
7 - Etc
8 - Etc
9 - Et al...

What makes this latest furore even more ridiculous is that it came in the wake of denials from none other that Malaysia's 'favourite' politician Datuk Ahmad Maslan on such monies acknowledged by DS Najib as being in his personal account in response to a viral video alleging such (see graphic at bottom for details). The original accusations came from an article in the Wall Street Journal in early July to which DS Najib has responded to with an investigation which is, like everything else to do with 1MDB, is still on-going... DS Najib himself is of course as usual ... silent ... about the whole matter.

This blogger has time and again stated, a little here, but also in other media that there is really something wrong with DS Najib's media and communications management... of course, there lots of other stuff wrong about his administration, but the comms weakness is appalling! To compound that now, even new members of his new '1MDB Cabinet' appointed to shore up support for him have begun showing their own 'foot-in-mouth' problems! In the end, DS Najib's problems continue to be mainly his own fault, either through his own actions or those who continue to make mistakes whilst trying to 'help'.

Perhaps this is yet another signal that it is time for DS Najib to leave office... whilst there may still be some scrap of dignity left to his name... and whilst Malaysians may still be convinced that he is worth forgiving...

From Jho Low To Low Yatt, A Nation In Leadership Crisis Well Before #1MDB

The Tragic Irony Of 2 Lows

 

Even before the 27 July 'pogrom' which saw the sacking of our Deputy Prime Minister, a senior Minister critical of the #1MDB scandal and the Attorney General actually investigating the same said scandal, our country was already at a low. This was exemplified by the 2 Lows that has had a hand in showcasing this, the first being Jho Low, the man who led the #1MDB experiment down a path of destruction, the second being Low Yatt, the iconic shopping centre that is the site where the illusion of our racial harmony under 1Malaysia has been laid bare over the space of 1 evening in Ramadhan!

 

Leadership is about many things, among them, moral courage, the realisation of ideas, and for a leader to be seen as successful, it is the results of his actions that is judged. And so we see 2 great ideas that have been the cornerstone of the Najib government in judgement in the week Ramadhan came to a close. The first, 1Malaysia, is deserving of its prominence, the second, #1MDB, has the distinction of being elevated now as a tragedy of an unwanted child from the 1Malaysia concept.

 

The basics of 1Malaysia are pretty straightforward, and with racial disharmony being felt in the undercurrents leading towards the fall of the previous Prime Minister, Pak Lah, one would be forgiven that with it, DS Najib had brilliantly chosen an easy aim of reuniting the nation as the cornerstone of his first years in power. However, in the great excitement of pursuing 1Malaysia, its notion as a spirit or guiding principle for the next stage of nation-building somehow got lost in the 'branding' of it. It was almost as if 1Malaysia got away from DS Najib such that it was...

 

And so when the results of the 13th General Election or PRU13 rolled in as one of the most polarised since 1969, one would be forgiven for thinking that was the death of 1Malaysia even as a concept. Unfortunately, 1Malaysia and its many 'acronyms' had been so synonimous to DS Najib's administration, more so than the economic transformation program which continued to prove unpopular with UMNO's core Malay support base, the loss was explained away as due to a 'betrayal' of Chinese voters or a 'failure' of BN Chinese component parties.

 

And so DS Najib persisted with 1Malaysia post-PRU13, only the slogan or brand now rang hollow as a cry for unity, and its 'acronyms' marched into greater prominence. Regretfully, it is not BR1M or PR1MA that has since grown to such prominence as to likely now be the one that define's DS Najib's legacy, but 1MDB... readers will not however that this posting is not about the great scandal being the potential demise of the Najibite regime, but that it was already doomed even before...

 

Weaknesses Post-PRU13 Not Addressed

 

Months have passed since the 1MDB scandal gained prominence in the minds of Malaysians. It is interesting to note that issues of 1MDB was first raised by Malaysia's opposition, but failed to gain traction. To many observers, including this blogger, the lack of response by the Rakyat to PR's attacks on 1MDB was just confirming our view that the PR opposition's strong performance was not due to its strength but as a result of BN's continued weakness under DS Najib's leadership. In the end, it took the attentions of Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad to spark concern.

 

It would be worth noting here that whilst PRU13 showcased the failure of the 1Malaysia concept as DS Najib's cornerstone agenda, DS Najib's subsequent reaction to its results strengthened the hand of none other than Tun Dr M! BN and UMNO was saved in that elections by a firm return swing of the Malay vote to a majority of its MPs. This was exemplified in the state of Kedah in particular where Tun Dr M showed his enduring love for the party, campaigning harder that leaders half his age to return BN to the state capital. Was it not UMNO though that drove Malay voters back to BN?

 

It was not! If anything, the 'Asal Bukan UMNO' or ABU campaign had taken root among many  younger middle-class urban Malays. This was at the root of surprise losses by leaders like Dato' Raja Nong Chik at Pantai as well as many parts of Selangor that did not seem to benefit as greatly from the Malay swing. The swing though was much stronger in the rural Malay heartland where pro-Malay and Muslim NGOs such as Perkasa and ISMA were highly influential. There UMNO benefitted as the NGOs decided to support BN in order to reject Anwar Ibrahim's bid for Prime Ministership.

 

And so the one part of the UMNO strategy that worked was the demonisation of Anwar Ibrahim, where at long last, even many of his old friends from his younger ABIM began denouncing him for his loose morals and inconsistent as well as compromising political stands. However, it was the Malay NGOs that held the greatest sway in convincing Malays that BN was still worth voting for if anything to protect Malay rights from the risks of Anwar's immorality and political ambition, despite many Najibite policies prior to PRU13 being decidedly no longer pro-Malay.

 

A political strategy based on demonising your greatest enemy of course is not sustainable and became outright defunct the moment Anwar was convicted for another substantial jail term that effectively marks the end of his political career. Rather bizzarely, despite the support of Malays and their NGOs as well as the rejection of Chinese voters, DS Najib's government continued to pursue policies that moved away from the 'Malay Agenda', with only token almost rhetorical crumbs thrown their way. UMNO's mainstream was also then encouraged to alienate Perkasa, Isma and co as potential rivals!

 

It is this persistence of a failed strategy that has continued to weaken UMNO and BN's position under DS Najib's leadership post-PRU13, added to it the botched implementation of the GST, PRU14 was a sure-lose proposition! In desparation, many BN strategists talk of a major win during PRU14 due to the apparent disunity in and among the opposition Pakatan Rakyat parties. However, this is a false hope as firstly, as mentioned above, BN's losses over the last 2 elections have been more about its weaknesses rather than PR's strength and secondly, one this unites the opposition always, hate of BN!

 

The False Hope Of Peace At Ramadhan

 

Of course, DS Najib now continues to contend with the #1MDB scandal. There was much hope in his camp, apparently partly fueled by premonitions by bomohs and gurujis believed by those by his side, that his #1MDB problems would be over by the end of June or come mid-Ramadhan. Even as this was being predicted, DS Najib himself did not believe it, and so the plan to quash any internal opposition or any risk of conviction of him or his close allies on #1MDB was hatched.

 

Ironically, despite Tun Dr Mahathir honouring his word to his close associates to be less provocative and be more reflective in Ramadhan, other parties stepped into the breach. The attack by WSJ for instance, despite the belief of pro-Najibite social media activists, have noting to do with Tun Dr M, but has more to do with certain parties in the United States wanting to keep the pressure up on DS Najib in order to compell him to sign the Tran Pacific Partnership Agreement (TPPA)... or at least that is what this blogger believes.

 

And so no peace has settled in the Najib camp, but this should not surprise anyone. DS Najib's government was well on the way to losing PRU14 anyway before #1MDB. His 27 July progrom will at best help him to survive UMNO's efforts to topple him till the general elections - and even that is not a sure thing as calls to reject the posponement of UMNO elections gain voice at UMNO Division meetings. And one then wonders, why bother at all with all these political shenanigans if in the end he will lose his Prime Ministership with little to no dignity left to his name?

 

And will Malaysians ever forgive a Prime Minister that has showcased such selfishness to retain power even as we continue to suffer his leadership? ...