COMMENTARY BY THE MALAYSIAN INSIDER
12 October 2014
Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak is confused. He and Barisan Nasional (BN) seem to believe that the wealth, resources and talent in Malaysia belong to them and they can dispense with it at their will.
He doesn’t understand that a political party has to win over people with policies, integrity, consistency, fairness, etc. Bribes do not work. Threats almost always fail.
But yet Najib persists with the carrot-and-stick approach. Before GE13, the BN chairman believed that throwing goodies the way of the Chinese would endear him to the community and by extension, they would support him in the polls.
That strategy failed miserably.
So on the back of being rebuffed at the 2013 elections, Najib has brought out the veiled threats.
Speaking at the MCA annual assembly today, he said the Chinese could not make demands on his government if they continued to support Pakatan Rakyat (PR).
First, his government owns the support of only 47% of the voters. Nearly 52% of Malaysians voted for PR and these include many Chinese, and a sizeable number of Malays, Indians, Kadazans and other indigenous people.
So instead of using a hectoring tone, it would probably be advisable for Najib to show some humility. Continue reading “Carrot and stick, and other imaginary monsters in Malaysia”