Drooling over Dato Najib.

CHARACTER BUILDING.

I want to be a normal person. Indeed I do. I want to drool like other people at the prospects of Dato Najib becoming the next PM. It has been promised. June 2010. Perhaps it is written in the stars.

Sadly I cannot. I must depart from the untutored opinion of the others. By untutored I mean, they are not from Pekan. They do not know Dato Najib that well. Not that if you are not from Pekan, you are not capable of forming a reasonably accurate impression of Dato Najib.

You of course can. But your opinion and impression must be compared to other equally plausible interpretations. Yes like the others, I want to drool and salivate at the prospects. If I were a woman, maybe I would like to achieve that increasingly hard to get on my part, of some slight orgasm just by looking at those reddened lips of Dato Najib. But that pesky bloke, Mat Tomoi( mattomoi.blogspot.com) has also reminded people that the Pekan men have some theory as to why Dato Najib’s lips are perpetually red. The only other politician with reddened lips belonged to Tan Sri Rahim Tamby Chik, a former chief minister of the state of Melaka. And we all know what his hobbies were.

His main hatchet man will be that bearded fellow. Dr Jamaludin Jarjis. Graduated from Manchester. Received his advanced degrees from McGill University, Canada. A bright fellow. He lacks that crucial ingredient to be a leader- character. Whatever he does or anyone wants to do, sanitise the infamous groping episode, apply the most powerful bleaching chemicals to cleanse the stained expose, he is a damaged good. Just like his patron, Dato Najib.

Has Dato Najib got character? He has that personality of course. He looks composed and cool. But that is a product of his pampered life. Character is an important component of leadership. The others being competence and excellence. Lets not confuse character with personality. A person has personality judging from external appearance. A person’s character is derived from his inner values.

What Dato Najib has is political professionalism. He has been in that job since 1976. For 32 years. If he has not mastered the art or science of politics, then he must be a thicky. Obviously he is not a dumkoff. A gardener working for 30 years in the same job can do his tasks with his eyes closed. Same like Dato Najib. No big deal.

But has he got the inner strength, the resolve and drive? I am not sure. He is the most notable recipient of political subsidies. Always received freebies. Getting things the easy way, brings along with it that corrosive agent. It corrodes the resolve and will and affirmativeness.

How did Najib become a parliamentarian? By default!. His father died. The sentiments then wanted the 22 or 23 year old to succeed the father. That was it. That decision to put him there, cut short his proclivity to sow his wild oats here there and everywhere. You want me to accept the ridiculous notion that a young chap of that age, long haired bon vivant of the good life at that time, has already formed the vision of wanting to do good for his people? Hell- he could have been cursing all and sundry for cutting short his love of life.

Next he became a parliamentarian. He was made a deputy minister. Why, because his uncle was there. Don’t tell me a person fresh from Nottingham university was tailor made for the job. He was given the opportunity by the uncle. Everyone else given the same opportunities can do the same.

He became MB for Pahang, under Tun Hussein’s watch. I can’t remember anything spectacular of Pahang that he accomplished during his tenure. Except that Rosmah Mansor who was working with I&P at that time, frequented Pahang very often probably briefing the MB on project proposals. Just like in the 1990’s when one political analyst accompanied by good looking ladies tagged along to brief Dato Najib.

He became the deputy chief of Pemuda UMNO? By default when Dato Mokhtar Hashim exited. The youth chief? Because Anwar Ibrahim wanted him so. The vice president? He was a passenger of Pak Sheikh’s bandwagon. Part of team Wawasan doing Tun Ghafar Baba in. Deputy President of UMNO? because Tun Mahathir grew impatient with Pak Lah’s dithering.

So pray tell- who is the biggest recipient of political subsidies? Dato Najib has as much a character as the person receiving his monthly allowances from the Jabatan Kebajikan Masyarakat. So keep on drooling baby!.