The three-day silence by the Prime Minister, Datuk Seri Najib Razak is deafening – his failure to follow up on Deputy Prime Minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin’s “We don’t want May 13 repeated” statement by declaring clearly and unequivocally that he would accept the verdict of the people in the 13th General Election and that he would ensure and facilitate a peaceful transition of federal power from Barisan Nasional to Pakatan Rakyat if this is the result of the general election.
This is the question I had posed publicly at a DAP ceramah at Sepanggar in Sabah last Friday following earlier online reports that Muhyiddin had told a national youth conference calling on the young generation to be united to ensure that the country remains stable and peaceful to avoid a repeat of the May 13, 1969 tragedy.
Malaysians were taken aback by Muhyiddin’s reference as they doubt the Deputy Prime Minister’s bona fides, with more Malaysians convinced that Muhyiddin raised the spectre of May 13 as a subtle threat to voters that there would be another May 13 bloodshed if UMNO loses power rather than as an assurance to Malaysians that May 13 was a tragic chapter of past history which would not and could not recur!
I had extended Pakatan Rakyat’s offer to co-operate and work closely with UMNO/Barisan Nasional to ensure that there will be no repeat of May 13 in the next general election, asking how there could be a repeat of May 13 tragedy if both political coalitions – BN and PR – sincerely pledge to work together in the national interest to prevent any such recurrence?
This was why I had issued the challenge to Najib as Prime Minister and President of UMNO/Barisan to declare his public stand.
My Sepanggar speech elicited a response from the UMNO secretary-general Tengku Adnan Tengku Mansor, the Sabah Barisan Nasional secretary Datuk Abdul Rahman Dahlan and an UMNO MP Datuk Tajuddin Abdul Rahman (Pasir Salak) who pledged a smooth transition of power should Pakatan Rakyat defeat them in the coming polls.
As examples, they pointed out that their party had to concede defeat in Selangor, the country’s richest state, and Kelantan, which has been under PAS’s rule for over two decades now.
But losing federal power in Putrajaya is very different from losing power in five states as in 2008, i.e. Selangor, Penang, Perak, Kedah and Kelantan as well as losing BN’s customary two-third majority in Parliament.
Furthermore, Malaysians will not easily forget Najib’s incendiary speech at the UMNO General Assembly two years ago that UMNO would defend its power in Putrajaya with “crushed bodies and broken bones”, which is no assurance whatsoever that would be no repeat of the May 13 tragedy.
This is why the responses from Tengku Adnan and two UMNO MPs were most unsatisfactory and grossly inadequate as they cannot undo what Najib had said, which could only be done by the Prime Minister himself, and why his continued silence is both ominous and very poor reflection on his commitment to both democracy and political transformation in Malaysia.
Najib must be reminded that before talking about Malaysia becoming “best democracy in the world”, he should first ensure that Malaysia becomes a normal democracy where no one doubts there would be peaceful transition of federal power if decided by voters.
In normal democracies, whether the United Kingdom, European Union countries, Australia, New Zealand, Canada, the United States or even in Japan, none of their citizens would doubt that there would be peaceful transition of power from one political party or political coalition to another, whether at the national or state level, if this is the verdict of the electorate in a general election.
But this is not the case in Malaysia. In fact, we are still a very long way from being a normal democracy, when even the Prime Minister, the Cabinet Ministers, UMNO and all the component Barisan Nasional parties are still not prepared to make a clear and unequivocal commitment for a peaceful transition of federal power if this is the decision of the electorate in the next general election and that there would be no repeat of May 13 in the country!
Najib cannot delay any further in making a public commitment to accept and facilitate a peaceful transition of federal power in the next general election if this is the verdict of the electorate, and that there would not be any repeat of May 13, or he would be proving right the recent description of him as a “false democrat” who “hold elections but have no intention of giving up power”.
Najib has said time and time again…he will never disagree with his DPM….even though time and time again they contradict each other.
Najib is in desperate needs to stay in power.
He does not care how smart Malaysians think.
He is only concern how idiots …racists and peace loving Malaysians think.
The problem for him is that he is not sure how the peace loving Malaysians will vote.
When the righteous are silent, evil prevails …
Peace is the result of active preservation of the noble values of truth, justice and freedom …
Not inactive tolerance of corruption, injustice and restrictions …
There’s no free lunches in this world, everything that’s worthwhile demands effort and sacrifices …
The deputy muck head actually wanted to say Mayday Mayday, umno/bn is sinking. Mayday! Mayday!
Najib cannot do what malaysians would not do, May 13 or not.
And this time malaysians are going to punish Najib, that blockhead DPM, UMNO and Barisan Nasional.
I hope that other blockhead who is tainted with irrationalityy would also lose his deposit in the GE.
Najib is in a big dilemma. If he comes out and says that he would be a gentleman and relinquish power and make way for Pakatan Rakyat to take over Putrajaya, there would be rebellion in UMNO.
The warlords led by the cowhead mooheedin would go berserk at the very thought of not only losing power but their privileges being taken away and exposed to criminal litigation.
On top of that the evil Mamak would not take such an announcement sitting. He would start his vendetta machine rolling as he did on AAB. This sicko would do anything to hold onto his ill-gotten billions. The thought that his good-for-nothing botak son would be a nobody would only revitalize all the malignant cells in his dying body.
No, Najib is between the devil and the deep blue sea! He is in a fix. He is in dilemma brought about by his own indecisiveness, flip-flip style of governance and not being able to control the warlords in UMNO.
He is such a lame duck that he can only say crazy things to his supporters at UMNO assemblies to maintain a semblance of being a leader.
History may not remember him except that he openly bought votes to stay in power. Who can forget his: ” Lu tolong gua, gua tolong lu.”
When wimps rule and are seen as ‘irrational’, ineffective and ‘impotent’, then trouble makers will have a field day to do as they please when circumstances present itself.
When wimps and pretenders cannot even control their own party members and other sympathisers, then one must be prepared for the unexpected.
Perhaps the King can play a crucial role and will intervene when necessary.
Najib must get clearance from Mahathir to answer than question. Or let Mahathir to answer first and Najib will parrot him.
I agree with Dap man!
YB, it’s beyond his control and he cannot answer you.
Perhaps that FatButt Defect Woman-Family Minister still has more shopping to do, but elsewhere, definitely not Paris.
Najib said that the question was hypothetical. He meant that if the election is not held, how can he say anything about the results. He might launch a repeat of operation lallang, and he declares emergency without May 13. Then he would again follow his father’s footstep to set up a national operation council. Then there is no need for UMNO election since political parties are barred from any political activities. He will rule, like his father as life Prime Minister, for as long as he lives.
Najib is mute after hearing the Judge declaring BERSIH 3 not a threat a security risk.
DPM does not know where to hide their face.
Rias Yatim saying BERSIH is DIRTY and is a lawyer takes the the dumbest trophy.
///PKR’s promise to make cars affordable could spell the end of Proton which could affect tens of thousands of workers, says Umno Youth chief Khairy Jamaluddin.///–Malaysiakini
It means that Malaysians who own cars are obliged to pay more so that the tens of thousands of workers can keep the company going. What good is the company when they have to live like leech at the expense of motorists? Would it be more beneficial to train the workers to be more productive not only to themselves but to the nation as a whole, by closing down Proton?
Mamakthir’s pet project has not only made Malaysians suffer in paying more for transportation, he made the few thousand workers a liability rather than an asset.
Najib’s failure to declare he would accept the verdict of the people in the 13th General Election if PR is voted into federal power, gives him the option to invoke EMERGENCY RULE.