Pak Lah or Najib: Same old stories?

Najib must be the only new Malaysian Prime Minister with little hope placed on him by the people at large. This is not surprising at all. Najib assumed the number 1 post after Pak Lah agreed to step down, but let us not forget that Pak Lah also had to step down after so much pressure from within as well as outside UMNO Baru. If given a choice, Pak Lah would certainly not want to let go his powerful position as the Prime Minister of Malaysia.

Although Pak Lah had been described as a weak leader prior to his resignation, there was so much hope placed on him, both by Malaysian and BN/UMNO Baru leaders, when he first assumed his premiership responsibility. Pak lah was the people’s hope for delivering what Mahathir had (deliberately?) failed to deliver to the people.

Reform was the keyword then… but after almost two terms as the captain of the ship called Malaysia, reform was just a dream never come through.

No reform in the judiciary.
No reform in the police force.
No reform in the SPR.
No reform in the ACA.
No reform within UMNO Baru.
No reform in money politic.
No reform within BN.
No reform to eradicate corruptions.
No reform in using the government machinary in general elections or by-elections.
No reform in free of speech
No reform in ISA, AUKU, Sedition Act
No reform in the abuse of mainstream media
No reform in the way government contracts are awarded
No reform to stop maggie mee projects during by-elections
No reform in the issue of teaching Science and Mathematics in English
No reform in God-knows-what…….

Heck… the people think there was no reform even in Pak Lah himself, so to speak, when he continue to ‘sleep’ and not listening to what people want and demand until his very last day of power. He had apologized to the people for his failure to deliver what he promised, though.

So, Pak Lah is now out and Najib is in. But the perception is still the same. Although he immediately announced the release of 13 ISA detainees and lifted the ban on Harakah and Suara Keadilan, these two face-saving initial actions by Najib is still nothing to the people’s eyes especially when such announcements were made leading to three by-elections at Bukit Gantang, Bukit Selambau and Batang Ai. Mind you, maggie mee projects still pouring non-stop to the three constituents mentioned above. Both electronic and printed media are still widely used to run nationwide campaigns for BN almost 24 hours a day.

Najib has tough challenges on two accounts alone… one is the alleged irregularities in the case of sub-marine purchase made by the Malaysian Government during his tenure as Defense Minister and the other is related to the murder case of a Mongolian woman Altantuya. Although Najib had denied any involvement in both cases, the public perceptions against Najib can’t be help. His alleged involvement in the Altantuya case had been printed in the foreign media but there were just silence from Najib. Oppositions parties had challenged that Najib should clear his name first (by sueing the foreign media) before he assumes PM post but that went unheeded.

Najib is now the most powerful man in Malaysia and the future looks bleak for average Malaysians for reform may never come, yet again. What more, the latest news is that Mahathir had applied to re-join UMNO Baru and the sentiments that had been played by the media was that Mahathir is seen to be one of UMNO Baru’s new hope to rebuild Malaysia. Have Malaysians forgotten the history why was Mahathir rejected in the first place? Malays really forget easily…..

Image credit: Pink Turtle