The Prime Minister, Datuk Seri Najib Razak announced in Kuching yesterday that he will exercise his rights as Barisan Nasional (BN) chairman to veto potential candidates to ensure only winnable ones become BN candidates in the next election.
It is public knowledge that all along, the final decision on the list of candidates rests with the presidents of the respective Barisan Nasional component parties, whether MCA, Gerakan, MIC, PPP or the Sarawak/Sabah component parties.
When did Najib get the veto power as BN Chairman to veto parliamentary and state assembly candidates proposed by BN component parties?
There is nothing in the Barisan Nasional constitution which confers on the BN Chairman the veto powers to reject the parliamentary or state assembly candidates proposed BN component parties.
If Najib can veto potential candidates proposed by Barisan Nasional component parties to ensure only winnable ones become BN candidates, can leaders of the other BN component parties veto proposed Umno candidates on similar ground of winnability in the next general election?
Or is this a solely one-way traffic, highlighting the further concentration of power and greater political hegemony of Umno in Barisan Nasional in the past three years – despite claims that one lesson that BN has learnt from the 308 political tsunami of the 2008 general elections is to ensure more meaningful power-sharing in the Barisan Nasional coalition between Umno on the one hand and the other component parties on the other?
The other issue raised by Najib’s announcement is whether “winnability” is now the most important criterion for selection as BN candidates in the next election – rated even higher than other factors like honesty, integrity and incorruptibility, and whether the Bagan Pinang by-election will serve as the future model for selecting “winnable” BN candidates?
In the Bagan Pinang by-election in October 2009, Najib fielded former Negri Sembilan Mentri Besar Tan Sri Mohd Isa Samad as candidate netting a handsome victory although Isa had a tainted past – forced to vacate his Ministerial position in the Cabinet and suspended for three years as Umno member after being found guilty of money politics, but never charged in court for the corruption offence.
Although Mohd Isa won the Bagan Pinang by-election, his candidature exposed the hollowness and hypocrisy of the Najib administration’s Government Transformation Programme (GTP) in declaring “fighting corruption” as one of the six NKRA priority areas for constant assessment of “key performance indicators”.
In fact, former Prime Minister Tun Dr. Mahathir and veteran Umno leader Tengku Razaleigh had rightly warned that with Mohd Isa’s candidate, Umno and Barisan Nasional can win the battle in the Bagan Pinang by-election but they will lose the battle in the next general elections.
This is because Mohd Isa’s victory would tell Malaysians and the world that Najib and his administration are not capable of the far-reaching political, economic, educational, social and cultural reforms needed in the country to remake Malaysia an united, democratic, just, competitive and progressive nation to take our rightful place in the international community.
Mohd Isa’s recent appointment as Chairman of FELDA had only driven home this message – that winning in the next general election will be Najib’s top priority even if his alphabet soup of slogans, 1Malaysia, GTP, ETP, etc are to take a back seat.
///In the Bagan Pinang by-election in October 2009, Najib fielded former Negri Sembilan Mentri Besar Tan Sri Mohd Isa Samad as candidate netting a handsome victory although Isa had a tainted past….///
Najib’s action confirmed that he supports money politics.
///It is public knowledge that all along, the final decision on the list of candidates rests with the presidents of the respective Barisan Nasional component parties, whether MCA, Gerakan, MIC, PPP or the Sarawak/Sabah component parties.
When did Najib get the veto power as BN Chairman to veto parliamentary and state assembly candidates proposed by BN component parties?///
Since the leader of the second largest party in BN, CSL of MCA dared not oppose, the other parties had just followed. That was why Najib was eager to get Samy Vellu out of MIC leadership.
BN component parties only represent the leaders in their individual capacity and not the community or the membership, so the voters would only be helping these non-UMNO BN candidates to enrich themselves by helping UMNO steal. The talk about sharing power could be the power to use toilet facilities, in cabinet meetings.
The truth is Najib is completely oblivious the precedences he sets is destroying this country be it this with BN party organisation or the Perak Coup or the Selangor State Secretary affairs, the man is a clown with running around with a sledgehammer to the flimsy cardboards defining our institutions and systems that hold this country together.
Dis is so dat LohSiMah can order her hubby 2 select her as a sure winnable UmnoB candidate in d next GE, sure win 1 as MP, then she can b d next PM, if not DPM will do lah
Right now, she is busy acting as our Foreign Minister n Tourism Minister, overseas jiat hon
Yo yo,she can scream hard,jump on the table,drum beat on her chest in the parliament.Slam down on opposition like WWF female wrestler.Wha.r..lau..eh..this Loh Si Ma first lady,boh gau kun ah.Go back home not feeling satisfied,bring out the skeletons from closet and threaten that poor fellow if her request not approved.24 hours grilling will be more than what najis can bear.
But rosmama veto power works like a charm on najis.
When did jib get his veto power?
Since announcing his tower-power!
dagen,go up one posting above and get serious with him.my comments still wait…g like hours.Serious..one
Not even a murmur let alone “oppose” by those chieftians of MCA – Chua Soi Lek, MIC – G Palanivel, Gerakan – Koh Tsu Koon and even PPP’s Kayveas, the fighter-cock dare not move a muscle!
Look at the bunch of them, a pitiful sight – aren’t they all at Najib’s mercy, have to genuflect before him if they want any minister position, no? Sad situation huh when none of them made it to the Rakyat’s list of choice – no power, no voice lah!
But one thing was clear, Sarawak’s Taib Mahmud sure didn’t like it one wee bit what he heard; his faicial expression and body language said it all.