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Najib rode on the wave of Bagan Pinang
DATUK SERI NAJIB ABDUL RAZAK was, finally,
fully endorsed as the Umno president. If ever there
was any lingering doubt or dispute among party
members as to who is the supremo of Umno, last
week’s 60th general assembly put paid to it.
He was, of course, elected at the last assembly
six months ago and was handed the reins of the
party at the end of it but many had held their breath
until he was sworn in as the sixth prime minister in
April before acknowledging him.
Even then the reform measures he im-
plemented, including his liberalising of
certain sectors of the national economy
after decades of the New Economic
Policy and even his 1Malaysia concept,
caused disapproving noises to rumble
within the ranks and file of the party.
But he worked relentlessly to
explain his policies and capitalised
on the Kampung Janda Baik retreat with his insistence
or workcamp for divisional and that “we must
other leaders to strengthen the
party esprit de corps among
them last month to rationalise
his policies to them.
And the just-concluded
general assembly crowned
his efforts.
Najib realised after the
setback the BN suffered
in last year’s March
8 general election
a major overhaul
of the party was
needed and new
policy directions
were required to
arrest further erosion
of support and to win back those voters who had
lost faith in the party.
The effort should have started immediately after
March 8 like what Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad did
immediately after the little setback Umno suffered
in the 1999 polls. He worked hard, announced he
was retiring and handed power
to “Mr Nice Guy” Tun Abdullah
many delegates love to ex-
press themselves to tell them
Ahmad Badawi, who led the
BN to its biggest victory ever
Comment “we must change”.
He bowled them over with
by Zainon Ahmad
in 2004. his insistence that “we must
newsdesk@thesundaily.com
When Najib finally held the change” when he referred
rein of power in his hands, a to the constitutional amend-
year had already gone by after the March 8 “tsu- ments on the abolishment of the quota system
nami”. Nevertheless, he set to work immediately saying that he wants no safeguard
and announced to the nation his reform agenda to for his position.
make Malaysia “whole” again. Why should he fear the members At certain
But, at the same time, he realised that even as as after all he was the party president times, he stirred
he sought to win back the support of the other because they wanted him to lead their emotions like a
Malaysians with his 1Malaysia concept he must them? He said if he failed them they street demagogue,
have his own party, the source of his strength as certainly have the right to remove
leader of the BN, solidly him, and they should. After he said like when he asked
He bowled united behind him, and as “I leave it to members to decide on them at the end
them over quickly as possible. my position”, the delegates went of his rounding-up
And it was one reason wild and shouts of hidup Najib were
why the 60th general heard.
speech whether they second
assembly was held last At certain times, he stirred their wanted to change,
change” when he week, just six month after emotions like a street demagogue, and their reply was a of Umno, and winning the right to
the last one. Najib himself, like when he asked them at the end thunderous ya.
referred to the during his speeches at the of his rounding-up speech whether
constitutional assembly, reminded the they wanted to change, and their
amendments delegates many times that reply was a thunderous ya. Do you
on the there is so much to do and want to work hard now? Ya. Do you want to be
that “time is not with us”. close to the rakyat? Ya. Do you want to make
abolishment Thus, in his two-hour the party strong? Ya. Do you want to serve the
of the quota long opening speech, he rakyat? Ya.
system saying dwelt at length on his re- Some Umno members who came as ob-
that he wants form agenda for the party, servers were cynical about the ya to this and
the ruling coalition and ya to that of the delegates. They said hope-
no safeguard the government. If that fully their commitment is real this time. In
for his position. speech was not convincing the past their commitment lasts until they
enough, his final speech have returned to their hotel rooms and
at the end of the assembly folded away their “Umno uniforms” into
swung it for him. their suitcases.
In that final speech to the delegates, among There were times when Najib was like
whom was Abdullah, he employed all his oratory a lawyer in court making his submission
and public speaking skills, sometimes bonhomie before members of a jury, gesticulating this
and affable, sometimes pleading, at other times way and that, pointing this way and that and
serious and foreboding, sometimes funny and turning this way and that, and sometimes show-
sometimes stooping to embrace the earthy way ing his side profiles and sometimes facing them.
Najib: 1Malaysia an ongoing
struggle for social justice
IPOH: The 1Malaysia concept is not merely a
rhetoric or political gimmick, nor is it just a slogan
because it is a struggle for justice for all citizens in
the country regardless of race or religion.
Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Abdul Razak
said that the 1Malaysia concept contained prin-
ciples of social justice which would continue to
be championed.
“When we look at one of its principles which is
the principle of social justice, we must be fair to the
Malays in fighting for their cause, we also have to
give to the Chinese what they deserve, likewise we
give to the Indians whatever is their right.
“There should not be any section of the com-
munity who feel they are being neglected by the
government, not getting any assistance from
the government,” he said when launching the
programme ‘1Malaysia With the People of Perak’
at the Perak Stadium last night.
He said the main objective of the govern-
ment under the new economic model was to
briefs
Three killed as car tries
to avoid cat
KOTA BARU: Three people, including an Ameri-
can, were burnt to death when the car they
were travelling in skidded and burst into flames
at Km2 of Jalan Kota Baru-Kuala Krai in Bunut
Payung here early yesterday.
The driver, Tengku Ahmad Nazim Tengku
Azizan, 30, who suffered burns on his legs, arms
and body, said he was trying to avoid a cat.
The dead were identified as Tengku Shamsu
Tuan Ibrahim, 25, of Tanah Merah, Diana, 22, of
Ketereh, and US citizen Gonzalez Christopher,
30, an oil rig worker in Terengganu.
Tengku Ahmad Nazim said they were on
their way from Pasir Mas to Kota Baru and had
stopped by an eatery on Jalan Pasir Mas-Salor
theSun | MONDAY OCTOBER 19 2009
After such a stellar performance how else could
the jury rule, except in his favour? But, as he himself
admitted it, the BN’s big win in Bagan Pinang was
a significant help. “Imagine if we were to lose?”
he quipped.
Thus, there was no end to the praises heaped on
Tan Sri Isa Samad, the man who was disciplined by
Umno for involvement in money politics but chosen
as the candidate for Bagan Pinang.
Najib explained to the delegates
why Isa was chosen.
Isa was a local boy, popular
Umno leader of Teluk Kemang,
where Bagan Pinang is, and popular
with the Malays and non-Malays.
Even after he was punished he
remained a loyal Umno member.
So why should Isa be punished a
time?
And now for Najib, having
emerged as the undisputed leader
tell the other
parties of the
BN to put
their houses
in order,
comes the
hard part:
Convincing
the whole
country that the
new BN way is the
way to go.
turn Malaysia into a high-income nation which
required skill and expertise from all the ethnic
groups under the 1Malaysia spirit.
Najib said that to achieve the objective of
becoming a high-income nation on par with the
other developed countries, all races in the country
could not only think of their own ethnic group.
“We have this great ambition for the country
to achieve greater transformation, we don’t want
to remain as a middle-income country. We want
to see Malaysia emerging as a high-income nation
on par with the other developed nations.
“For this purpose, we need the necessary
skills from all the races, we need the expertise of
all races. We want all the races to look at things
not from the point of view of their own race but
from the point of view of the country that is
Malaysia,” he said.
He also said that the 1Malaysia concept was
an approach to achieve the Vision 2020 to build
the Malaysian nation state.– Bernama
at about 4am. He said he lost control of the car
upon reaching the Bunut Payung bridge when
he tried to avoid hitting a cat. – Bernama
Ministry awaits WHO report
on A(H1N1) situation
KOTA KINABALU: The Health Ministry is
waiting for an announcement from the World
Health Organisation (WHO) on the status of the
Influenza A(H1N1) pandemic in Malaysia.
Deputy Health Minister Datuk Rosnah Ab-
dul Rashid Shirlin said the report by WHO will
determine if H1N1 is still a threat in Malaysia.
Although there has been no report on the
H1N1 situation in Malaysia since a month
ago, the ministry will continue with measures
to prevent the spread of the virus, she told
reporters after a Aidilfitri open house hosted
by the Sabah Home Ministry here.
In Kuala Lumpur, Health Director-General
Tan Sri Dr Mohd Ismail Merican said the ministry
will issue statements on the H1N1 situation only
on a weekly basis – on Wednesdays – in view of
the drop in the number of cases. – Bernama