Joe Fernandez | April 5, 2016
Free Malaysia Today
Mahathir, like the Malays, was wrong to assume that Najib Razak’s nobility can be equated to him doing what’s right and carrying out noble deeds
ariff,mahathir
KUALA LUMPUR: Raub MP Mohd Ariff Sabri Abdul Aziz, taking to his blog, said that he was present at Dataran Merdeka on April 1 when former Prime Minister Dr Mahathir Mohamad, at 91, addressed the crowd at an anti-GST rally. “The gathering this time was not as large as that during the Bersih rallies although the issue was also about Prime Minister Najib Abdul Razak.”
“The weather was too hot and besides, the GST issue was too technical for many unlike what Bersih was all about.”
The people, added the MP, prefer the big picture. “The people want to see Najib out from Putrajaya and replaced by a government that’s aware of the environment.”
As Mahathir spoke, said Ariff, he couldn’t help but feel that Najib was also a result of the former Prime Minister’s fault. “It was a mistake on his part to believe that Najib comes from a noble family and will naturally do what’s right.”
“This is the fault of the Malays too, to believe that only the nobility has a monopoly on noble values and deeds.”
The Malays, he pleaded, must stop dwelling in false notions and fairy tales, in claiming that it was Mahathir’s backing of Najib that eventually led to the latter eventually taking to power.
The bottomline, alleged Ariff, is that the people are caught up in regrets and suffering under the Najib Administration.
“Mahathir at 91 wants to get past his regrets and help put things right. We have no choice but to support him, not so much to help him deal with his mistakes, but for the sake of the country.”
Ariff claimed that Najib was trying to divert the attention of the people from his misdeeds by delving into other issues like Penang Chief Minister Lim Guan Eng’s purchase of his residential bungalow. “If there’s substance in the allegations against Lim, the matter should be brought to Court. He’s ready to be judged in Court.”
Again, said the MP, this can be attributed to the fact that Malays can be easily bought. “Let’s hope this phenomenon is confined to the three million Umno members and does not involve the 15 million Malays who refuse to have anything to do with the party. If it’s the latter case, Malaysia can still be saved. We need a government based on the rule of law.”
He referred to the Australian Broadcasting Corporation’s recent expose on Najib as one which has brought matters to a head.
If UMNO leaders have no stomach to face the truth about themselves, how do you expect the heartland Malays to face the truth?
The Malays are a forgiving people. In the rural areas, the older folks always say “never mind, the country is still surviving” or “he did steal, but he gave most of it back”. I think this sort of attitude portends disaster for the country, but how do we change this mindset ? How can the country move forward and change into a first world mindset ?