When The Good Doctor Makes House Calls

What else can Najib, the insouciant PM do? He will say it’s an internal matter. About the criticisms that Dr Mahathir made of him. 
Najib’s faithful boys have all come out defending the boss. As they should.  But they offer no substantive rebuttals.

We have not heard the retort from Dr Mahathir. We can be certain that Dr Mahathir, once he is hooked on something, will eventually go for the jugular. It is the beginning of the end for Najib. Dr Mahathir as Musa Hitam says, wants nothing short but the removal of Najib as PM.

Najib’s boys are scrambling to defend the boss. Some cited the different situation Najib is in at the moment. They are saying, the problems faced by Najib are much greater.

Some would prefer the criticisms be made privately. Dr Mahathir must have done this continuously. Indeed he tells everyone so. Criticisms by factions friendly to Najib have always been made in a private manner. Daim Zainudin who is Mahathir’s close confidante and once a powerful minister himself, will usually write lengthy letters to Najib. Daim should try tweetering instead or facebooking.

If these were carried out, why did Dr Mahathir come out openly? It can only suggest that Najib ignored the warnings, advices, and what not. Or Najib thinks he is already smart enough. His boys think Najib is a superhero.

Didn’t Najib get the KTM lands back from Singapore when Dr Mahathir failed? Hasn’t Najib showed he cared more for the people when he gives money to them? Isn’t Najib the person who came out with the various acronymed initiatives to manage the country better?  All these are taken to mean Najib is better than Mahathir. So why does he need Mahathir to advise him.

Najib’s boys forget the basic element which is missing. Mahathir provided leadership. Najib can only provide posturing.

What is the difference between Mahathir and Najib? This is how I see it. The fundamental difference is Mahathir built concrete realities- good or bad; while Najib builds false hopes. Najib’s playground is the world of make beliefs- I have said that in the earlier article. A political will-o-the wisp type alluring and seducing people with symbols and catchphrases, giving out money to placate the rakyat to hide the harsh realities of economic incompetence.  A very very ceremonialised outpouring of grief taken as indication of personal empathy.

At least, even though it’s depressing to describe it as such- Mahathir showed orderly pillage of the economy while Najib is cultivating a gangbang rape of the economy. The UMNO warlords and their benefactors are tripping over each other’s feet to make as much as possible while Najib is in power. It’s a race and a riot out there.

Take a look around us. What has Najib created? A comforting world through heart-warming advertisements about merdeka done by Petronas when out there, there is racial tension while promising oneness, economic deprivations while talking about prosperity, financial havoc while talking about financial prudence.  

Why are claims about this country becoming a high income country by 2020 and statements about economic growth evoked only cynical and sarcastic responses? Because people out there are suffering economically. The economic policies and institutions promising economic justice and fairness, serve the interest of the oligarchs.

The constructs of Mahathir were the great monuments of Malaysia- twin towers, KLIA, Putrajaya, Proton, - all monuments that constitute the faces of civilization. What Has Najib done? He is more famous for doing nothing except mouthing hollow symbols.

What is Najib lacking most in leading Malaysia? My answer is Najib hasn’t got the capacity. And by capacity I mean not merely the presence of some degree of intelligence (which Najib has) but it also includes the resoluteness, the brevity, the determination, the vision etc.). Najib hasn’t got the capacity.

People with capacity produced paradigm shifts- building civilization is perhaps too extreme a choice of description. But people with capacity produce a gigantic leap freeing their societies from mechanised governments.