The past five weeks are undoubtedly the worst period for Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak since becoming the sixth Malaysian PM 27 months ago – making him the object of ridicule and scorn not only in the country but also internationally, forcing him to cut short his overseas trip.
It was his greatest failure of leadership as Prime Minister leaving his credibility in tatters – which is why his claim yesterday that the release of the PSM6 under the Emergency Ordinance was in accordance with the rule of law was met with nation-wide derision.
Najib cannot be more wrong if he thinks that he had restored his credibility with the release of the PSM6 yesterday, as nothing could wipe out the fact of his government’s high-handed and unsuccessful action to suppress the 709 Bersih 2.0 rally for free and fair elections, resulting in the arbitrariy and totally unjustifieable arrests of the PSM6, first on the ridiculous grounds of “waging war against the Agong” and “reviving communism” and then under EO for being “prime movers” of Bersih.
There are four things Najib must do, immediately and urgently, if he wants to salvage his tattered credibility after his greatest leadership failure as Prime Minister post-Bersih post-EO6.
Firstly, the Home Minister, Datuk Seri Hishammuddin Hussein and the Inspector-General of Police should tender a public apology to the PSM6 for their unlawful detention and Najib should make public commitment to annul the four Proclamations of Emergency which are obsolete, going back from 34 to 47 years ago, repeal the EO and all oppressive legislation.
Secondly, lift the ridiculous ban on Bersih 2.0 and end the government’s even more ridiculous Xanthophobia (irrational fear of yellow) arresting people for wearing the yellow Bersih 2.0 T-shirt and set up a Royal Commission of Inquiry on free and fair elections to make recommendations in time for the forthcoming 13th General Elections.
Thirdly, take firm action against the UMNO official organ, Utusan Malaysia, which had in the past few months carried out a most insidious and seditious campaign to incite ethnic hatred and religious tensions in the country totally against the spirit and objective of a united, harmonious, inclusive multi-racial and multi-religious nation – making Utusan the greatest threat to and destroyer of Najib’s 1Malaysia campaign.
Fourthly, charge Malaysian Anti-Corruption Agency (MACC) officers found by Teoh Beng Hock Royal Commission of Inquiry as having committed a host of offences and crimes, including perjury before the TBH Inquest and TBH RCI, and setting up a special investigation squad for fuller investigation into the real causes and circumstances of Teoh Beng Hock’s death. This is because the TBH RCI, despite its unacceptable “driven suicide” finding, had provided several new leads which must be further pursued, in accordance with the Prime Minister’s undertaking to Teoh Beng Hock’s family in July 2009 to “leave no stone unturned”, to find out the real causes and circumstances of Beng Hock’s death.
It is only when Najib is prepared to tackle these four basic things that he can hope to begin to recover his credibility which suffered a fatal blow in the past five weeks as a result of the government’s gross mishandling of the 709 Bersih 2.0 Rally and arbitrary arrests of the PSM6.