Najib rehashes old ideals, no new frontiers at Umno assembly

Under pressure to appease members, incoming Umno president Najib Abdul Razak found it expedient to admit that the current voting system in his party was flawed.

But he stopped short of declaring what many other leaders have urged - a one-man one-vote system to rid the once-mighty party of corruption and to return sorely-missed democracy to its members.

“As it stands the deciders are a delegation of some 2,600 delegates from 191 divisions. Clearly the choice of these delegates cannot correctly reflect the preferences of more than three million grassroots members,” Najib told a meeting of the Umno women and youth wings.

“To my mind the time has come for us to review the constitution of Umno so that the selection of Umno leaders will be more inclusive.”

He also rehashed a call for change but failed to ignite any excitement, having antagonised party colleagues a week before with a ruthless purge of leaders aligned to a rival faction.

Najib urged his party to embrace new technology, in particular new media, or risk being left behind by an increasingly well-educated electorate. However, he did not mention that only hours earlier, he had barred six online news providers from attending the assembly.

“There must be some introspection on our part followed by renewal and rejuvenation. If we do not undertake this process, Umno will continue to be seen as a party still in denial,” he said.

No new frontiers

The distinct lack of bite in his address was widely expected and thus the insignificance of the comments taken in stride. His Umno-controlled media did however make efforts to gloss over the fact and hailed him for going where no other Umno leader has ever ventured before.

But neither Star Trek nor Captain Kirk is Malaysia’s scandal-plagued deputy premier.

He may be notorious both locally and internationally for alleged complicity in the sensational murder-and-commission case of slain Mongolian translator, Altantuya Shaariibuu. But when it comes to politics, Najib has long been regarded as Mr Status Quo.

Even the most recent crackdowns on dissent ordered by him, going into the last lap of the power transition, are believed to have been conceived for him by his mentor, ex-premier Mahathir Mohamad, and former economic adviser, Daim Zainuddin.

Their objective - to ensure that Najib makes it to the topmost rung safely. Their motive - self-interest and a return to the front-line of power on the coat-tails of their protege.

“Najib should avoid becoming the next Dr Mahathir,” said political analyst Gavin Khoo. “There are indications that he is more willing to use the public institutions, controversial laws and coercive forces to get what he wanted than the previous administration. If he continues to disregard the rule of law, the losers will be the Malaysians, the normal people.”

The King

The 55-year old Najib is slated to take over the party presidency from Abdullah Ahmad Badawi this week and the premiership of the country early next month.

But despite the proximity of the transition deadlines, only the former is considered confirmed, while a question-mark still hangs over the second.

“Nothing can stop what has already been decided. Najib will become Umno president soon. And when there is confirmation, there will be a transition,” Abdullah told reporters.

But even so, he was vague about when Najib would become prime minister, a post the latter has long coveted.

Meanwhile, calls to the King, urging His Majesty not to confirm Najib as premier are gaining strength across the country. Despite heavy odds, most Malaysians cling to the hope that their King will resist the far-reaching arm of the Najib-Mahathir camp and stand up for his subjects.

“Whatever undertakings the present prime minister has made with his deputy or with his party about his successor are external to the constitutional process. To think otherwise is to imagine that the prime ministership is a private property to be passed on from one potentate to another at whim,” said Umno veteran Tengku Razaleigh Hamzah.

“The King has sole and absolute discretion in how he forms his judgment as to who in the Parliament commands the confidence of the majority. The choice is his alone,” Razaleigh added. -SuaraKeadilan