Nigel Aw | Apr 21, 2012
Malaysiakini
Barry Wain, who in 2010 raised red flags at the Home Ministry with his book ‘Malaysian Maverick: Mahathir Mohamad in Turbulent Times’, has described Prime Minister Najib Abdul Razak reformer image as a selective one.
The journalist and author, while acknowledging that the current premier had given more substance to his reform agenda compared with his predecessor Abdullah Ahmad Badawi, he had only instituted changes where the government’s position was not endangered, he said.
“Recognising his personal and political limits, Najib has become what I call a tactical or selective reformer, a less charitable description might be an opportunistic reformer,” said the Australian, who has lived in Asia for nearly 40 years.
“Skirting some of the areas most in need of reform, he is hoping he can make enough changes around the edges of certain policies, package them attractively and sell them to Malaysia to arrest Umno’s slide,” Wain told some 30 members of the Foreign Correspondence Club Malaysia (FCCM) at a talk in Kuala Lumpur last night.
‘Umno insider no natural reformer’
Despite the recent flurry of legislative reforms, it appeared evident that no attempt has been made to arrest institutional degradation of the police force and judiciary, said Wain, now attached to Singapore’s Institute of Southeast Asian Studies in Singapore.
Among examples he cited was the lack of accountability in the death of Teoh Beng Hock, the conviction of two police officers without known motive for the murder of Mongolia Altantuya Sharibuu and Opposition Leader Anwar Ibrahim’s second sodomy trial.
“No serious analyst in Malaysia or abroad would believe that Anwar’s prosecution and trial was free of political influence,” said the keen observer of Malaysian politics.
The premier, Wain added, had not signalled intention to reform the internal mechanics of Umno where corruption was most endemic and his proposed reforms to political financing was likely to circumvent money politics within Umno.
“Should Najib attempt to seriously curb the flow of patronage within the ruling party, he would probably follow Abdullah out the door,” he said.
Before the Najib’s reform push to soften the government’s image, his involvement in the the Perak coup had not not helped his reputation as a natural reformist, he added.
“Throughout Najib’s career, he has been cautious and pragmatic, he has never questioned Malaysia’s ethnic-based political system nor has he proposed significant innovation, not even during his direct ministerial responsibilities.
“It is difficult to define what he stands for… Najib is not only part of the system, one of his closest associates said, he trusts the system, he is the system,” said Wain.
On the economic reform front, he said, there also appeared to be an absent of genuine change.
“I remember the first time he announced the New Economic Model and said we’ll have a world-class education system, you know education in Malaysia is a mess, if you got the right policies it would probably take years if not generations to bring about change.
“Yes, he articulates it, it’s true we need a world-class education system but there is no follow-up action, sometimes it’s just like once he has said it he pretends it is done.
“With any politicians, one must watch what they do and not just what they say, and this is more true with Najib as there is a big gap between what he says and what they have”, he added.
Umno’s salvation, losing power
Wain added that he had spoken to people who Najib had consulted at the World Bank and they were convinced that the premier was capable of understanding the nation’s problems.
“But he is not instinctively bold or audacious nor does he have strong support from the party to make those reforms,” he said.
The truly outstanding leaders such as former deputy prime ministers Musa Hitam and Anwar Ibrahim and former finance minister Tengku Razaliegh Hamzah, Wain said, had long been ousted by former premier Dr Mahathir Mohamad (left) during his 22-year reign.
“Mahathir failed to provide future leadership for Malaysia… his long tenure also blocked the ascendency of others with leadership potential.
“The most capable people Mahathir got rid off and the people who are left are simply just second or third rung,” he said.
Umno in its current form, he added, was unable to reform while it remained in the cusp of power.
“I don’t believe Umno will reform itself, I think the best way for Umno is to be defeated and become the opposition and then go and do some serious reform and find new leadership.”
Mahathir, Wain said, completed Umno’s transition from a humble self-sacrificing party of peasants and schoolteachers to a party of self-serving corporate chieftain and dealmakers.
Even after the longest serving premier handed over power, his legacy lingered on as he had engineered both Abdullah and Najib’s premiership.
“The country has been run for more than eight years by fairly weak men put there by Mahathir,” he said.
//he is hoping he can make enough changes around the edges of certain policies, package them attractively and sell them//
Just like the Americans who packaged their subprime mortgages and bad loans and then sell them as ‘investments’
It takes 23 yrs the whole governance system slowly evolved into a complex-money-politic-cronyism-detrimental-intertwining system, how can anyone survive the system not mentioning changing the system?
Take PTPTN as example, it is during his era, turning the education into mass production of graduates with conveyer belt education system. More production line and machineries installed, more products made, compromise QC, more fund disperse as PTPTN, big business. Now you have this sub-prime crisis of education, these products have to either defaulting the loan or ask for free. It is OK to ask for free, it would be gone anyhow, anyway.
Take NFC, PKFZ, MAS as examples, as usual is satu lagi scandal by BN. It intertwined everything and everyone around. No accountability, it just faded away as time goes. You can ask everything free by justifying these.
Race, religions, reinforced this as much as possible, make this exclusive as possible, then you get the unity of voters. It is justify if you get the votes even if destroyed the nation.
The list go on-and-on….
Jib: Sakit kepala how to halau those pelajar di dataran merdeka…
igp: Boss, gua ada idea. Let Saifool loose among the boys there, and also let Chua SL loose among the girls. They will run screaming home in no time.
Jib: Excellent!
These people in power are living in a different world to protect their self interest….they don’t care!
To them, there is no urgency to introduce real and effective reform until there is a huge crisis or the country goes bankrupt.
Reformer? More like a Bulldozer
http://www.themalaysianinsider.com/sideviews/article/shocking-polls-amendments-bulldozed-through-ambiga-sreenevasan/
“I don’t believe Umno will reform itself, I think the best way for Umno is to be defeated and become the opposition and then go and do some serious reform and find new leadership.”
I completely AGREE with the above statement. It will be ‘Good’ to try out PR also whether at the Federal level, they can perform as well as the ‘Penang’ model. What I am worried is the integrity of the PKR MPs rather than the PAS & DAP MPs.
Najib: I reform, I transform, I jugak hormat lu punya tua pek kong. I mintak you tolong.
Najib is more suited to sell ‘minyak lelaki tahan lama’ at the road side.
Yet, I am not sure many men will buy his minyak.
Perhaps, some old testosterone deficient UMNO faithfuls who believe in Ketuanan Melayu or his cabinet ministers who need to service their young mistresses.
Barry Wain said Mahathir sacked all the good ones and had lousy ones like Dollah and Najib took over.
He said of what Najib is exactly what we think of him…an opportunist PM.
He said the only way for UMNO b to change and have better politicians is to be defeated and take over the Opposition bench.
If you read what Barry Wain said carefully…it is pointing towards Mahathir…crying…acting and retiring …but planned to be the real PM behind the PMs.
Dollah disappointed him. Just look how he shouted and and shouted.
Najib toed the line and pleases him by appointing his son as Deputy Minster.
But one thing no one can stop is People wants change of government…for CLEAN & UNCORRUPTED.
People getting smarter and smarter is what crooks are afraid of.
We all know Najib better than Barry Wain.
While Barry is right in general sense ..Najib is much more than that.
He is a compulsive liar and a flip flopper with an unstable mind.
Perhaps his “unstable mind” is due to him…trying to be too smart to fool all Malaysians…by using money to buy votes ..by tricks and treats to buy hearts…and by threatening when all his tricks… fail.
As for Najib…all Malaysians know…he is the worst PM…but some feel very comfortable with an idiot as our PM.
These are mostly lousy government servants and rich businessmen.
That is why…the Almighty does not take sides in politics.
But UMNO b keep using religions.mocking the Almighty will face the Judgement Day on 13th GE.
For that Najib knows it …too well.
His own pa said najib cannot do anything right and good. His one and only hobby is chasing after skirts. Chinese call that ‘char bo siow’ He got himself a ‘siow char bo’
Barry Wain said: “I don’t believe Umno will reform itself, I think the best way for Umno is to be defeated and become the opposition and then go and do some serious reform and find new leadership.”
This’s the only way for UMNO to reform! Let’s help them to be an opposition. Help them please…
So barry said jib skirts about the matter too much. Hmmmm BUT HE GOT ROS ALRIGHT! And ros is none other than the ros ros cantik!
And barry also said: //“Throughout Najib’s career, he has been cautious and pragmatic, he has never questioned Malaysia’s ethnic-based political system nor has he proposed significant innovation, not even during his direct ministerial responsibilities. //
Errr hey bro wot bout the declared intention to soak the keris in cina blood.
JIB JIB LAGI BEST.
ROS ROS LAGI CANTIK!