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Thursday, March 26, 2009

Najib Razak and the victory of KJ

Needless to say, the hottest news in town is the SIL.

Khairy Jamaluddin’s victory might have come as a surprise to most people, though I am one of those who weren’t.

Mind you, it hasn’t been due to my incredible take on UMNO politics but more of what I hear Dr Mahathir had to say. If we recall, his son Mukhriz won the most nominations for the post of UMNO Youth Chief, some 600 plus, while KJ only managed a modest figure adequate to see him into the race …

… yet Dr M stated (words to the effect) that meant nothing as it could change during the actual party election. He has now been proven right.

On top of that, he has been consistently against KJ in the lead-up to the UMNO elections, signalling his assessments and concerns for Mukhriz.

My good mate, Ong Kian Ming has also written an erudite piece in Malaysiakini on How Khairy managed the impossible.

Read it ‘coz it tells you quite a lot, far more than some who analysed Mukhriz's loss as due to Khir Toyo splitting the anti-KJ votes. Unlike the case in general elections, in political party elections voters actually vote for the candidates they prefer.

But on one count I have to disagree with Ong, on his paragraphs (relevant extracts only) which, with its section title of ‘Najib fails to kill Khairy off’ said:

What are some of the political implications of Khairy’s improbable victory?

The first and most immediate implication has to do with Najib’s power and influence within Umno. If the ‘signal’ which was sent by Najib was not sufficient to ‘kill off’ Khairy’s chances to become the next Umno Youth chief, one has to wonder ….. […]

Khairy will no doubt play the role of the loyal Youth chief but he will remember what Najib tried to do to him. And when the time comes when Najib’s back is against the wall (and that time will most certainly come) and if it is not politically expedient for Khairy to support Najib, then the daggers will be unsheathed, …..

I think many in Malaysia have come to swallow completely the story promoted by the Malaysia-Today blog that there exists an irreconcilable schism between Najib and KJ ...


... where once there was even a conspiracy of a covert pact between AAB-KJ and Anwar to do Najib in. I too had initially bought this story.

Then there was the RPK’s Statutory Declaration about AAB-KJ having the dirt on Rosmah’s nocturnal expedition to personally witness the blowing up of Altantuyaa Shariibuu. I had mentioned its implausibility more than once, the last being in my recent post The R-A-H-M-A-N prophesy - to be fulfilled or forestalled?

I wrote (relevant extracts):

RPK also revealed in his Stat Dec: “I have knowledge of who has informed me of this matter plus I have knowledge of the Ruler who has been briefed and is aware of the matter but I have agreed that I shall not reveal this information other than mention that the Prime Minister and his son-in-law have been handed a written report confirming what I have revealed.”

This is fantastic, that … AAB and KJ had received a written report about Rosmah’s […]

But WTF then, based on RPK’s declaration, what’s AAB and KJ waiting for?

If AAB has that report, would he have left?

And quite frankly, can anyone give me an example of the so-called enmity or schism between Najib and KJ?

I eventually came to the conclusion, MY conclusion, that the stories have been nothing more than a G.A.N campaign to drive a wedge between AAB-KJ and Najib so that ‘someone’ could exploit any possible chinks.

I also believe Dr Mahathir has been annoyed with Najib for not doing more to support Mukhriz, where his subtle criticisms of Najib in recent times could well be hints for the latter to neutralise or neuter KJ.


But ...

Could it possibly be that Najib has not interfered at all with the election for the new UMNO Youth Chief, because he wasn’t comfy with Mukhriz in that powerful position?

Could it be that Najib doesn’t want a Dr M as a backseat driver to his premiership?

Indeed, could it be that Najib is now not too unhappy with the outcome of that race?

21 comments:

  1. I do not think Khary would be a threat to Najib, the wicked old man and his gang will be the likely scenario.

    A respectable team was the outcome UMNO party election. Off course they is no rose without a thorn. Najib have to watch his back as his deputy is not such a simple personality who have won because his contender is very weak. The wicked old man, a thorn in the flesh will manipulate the situation to make call to the faithless person to take on Najib, if Najib did not bow to his wishes. After all the faithless person is impatient. Will be the same story with AAB.............

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  2. They are just the officers of the Titanic reporting for duty on its final voyage.

    They have a date with destiny, or rather, the iceberg....wakakakaka

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  3. I think BN loyalists would do well to read Khoo Kay Peng's level-headed analysis.

    http://www.themalaysianinsider.com/index.php/opinion/breaking-views/21403-a-glimpse-of-what-could-have-been--the-malaysian-insider

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  4. Sorry, I pasted the wrong link.

    The correct one below

    http://www.themalaysianinsider.com/index.php/opinion/breaking-views/21405-the-prospect-of-umno-under-najib-khoo-kay-peng

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  5. Hi Ulan Bator

    I think your "iceberg" is the
    Malaysian economy.

    Even if the Captain uses force to quell unrest among the ship's passengers and its crew (e.g. put them in the brig under ISA etc), the ultimate determinant would be the "iceberg". Just think about what happened to Suharto during the Asian Financial Crisis of the late 1990s.

    Already some governments and top leaders have fallen victim e.g. Iceland, Czech Republic, Hungary's leader etc.

    Phua Kai Lit

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  6. It premature for PR to celebrate, not so fast yet, they themselves have more serious structural problem. So if they are wise they should take care of their own backyard.

    What is the parachute Jeff Ooi trying to sell by testing the water in suggesting to resign then pull back that he is too fast for the people of Penang..... My foot.

    Now Chow Kon Yeow is taking him, head on.........

    And I deplore the cocky CM LGE act of lashing out at the critics for objecting to his proposed Tiger Park. Clearly he went against his own words of seeking the Penang people opinion on development the States

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  7. Here's a letter that I find it interesting and I reproduce it just in case some of you missed it !

    PENANG: Lim's record leaves much to be desired
    By : CALVIN SANKARAN, Bukit Mertajam


    WHEN Penangites voted overwhelmingly for the Pakatan Rakyat in the 12th general election on March 8 last year, the message they were sending to the outgoing Barisan Nasional state government was crystal clear.
    The message was that Penangites no longer felt industrialisation and economic development alone was sufficient.

    The vote was a reflection of the deep disenchantment and a groundswell of anger that had accumulated over the years on various issues like perceived unfair national economic policies, inadequate heritage preservation, environmental degradation, unchecked hillslope development, pathetic public transportation system, horrendous traffic congestion, poor governmental accountability, lack of public consultation and transparency over key projects, etc.

    In the run-up to the last general election, the PR (and especially Democratic Action Party) managed to capture the hearts of Penangites with their eight-point election manifesto that promised to usher in a "Dynamic Penang" and transform the state to the next level of development as well as to introduce more people-centric, democratic, environment-friendly and heritage-friendly policies.

    On a personal level, as someone who voted for change, I was looking forward to Lim Guan Eng and his administration to initiate radical and transformational policies and strategies to make Penang culturally and economically vibrant once more.
    However, in the past one year, Lim has repeatedly disappointed Penangites by failing to deliver on his key promises.

    The state government neither introduced local council elections nor was enthusiastic about asset declaration.

    There was no cancellation of unpopular projects such as the Penang Outer Ring Road (PORR) or banning of hill-slope development.

    There were no strategies for public transportation to ease the chronic traffic congestion. The problem of illegal hawkers and indiscriminate parking actually worsened, which was not unexpected as the new chief minister's first action was to cancel parking and illegal hawking summonses.

    Foreign direct investment was the only bright spot of Lim's administration, but then again most of it was actually the result of the previous BN government's efforts.

    The only success Lim had was the US$100 million (RM365 million) investment for a golf resort by a Korean consortium, which attracted much derision and criticism.

    Much was made of Lim's competency, accountability and transparency principles, but it was just plain rhetoric and political marketing bereft of any real substance.

    Lim's exco was a big letdown too with the poor quality of its members, most of whom lacked experience, education, knowledge and basic management skills.

    That some exco members could not even speak English fluently is a deep embarrassment in a technocratic state like Penang.

    Incidents such as the "King of Tennis" fiasco, "Buy 'Rocket' to help the hard-core poor", the laughable tiger park proposal, the banning of Utusan Malaysia and New Straits Times reporters for unfavourable reporting and many other gaffes have destroyed much of the initial goodwill that greeted Lim when he assumed leadership of the state.

    Lim's biggest problem is his propensity for making highly antagonistic statements and irrational demands on the Federal Government. A smarter chief minister would have swallowed his pride and made his peace with the Federal Government for Penang's sake.

    In the past year, it has become increasingly apparent that Lim is a mere Lilliputian in the illustrious company of his predecessors.

    Time and again, Lim's missteps, misguided policies, lack of vision and penchant for meaningless rhetoric cast him as a midget when compared with towering figures such as Tun Dr Lim Chong Eu and Tan Sri Koh Tsu Koon.

    The good news is, it is not too late for Lim to change his approach and strategies to bring Penang to the next level of development. However, if he refuses to change, Penangites will ensure Lim's administration itself is changed.

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  8. I've never ever been able to link the words "towering figures" and Koh Tsu Koon aka "Raja Bodek" together.

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  9. Hi Ulan Bator
    You sound like a merchant of death or a soothsayer of a impending doomsday !

    With the current global warming , your "iceberg" is the
    Malaysian economy and Phua Kai Lit is correct . No govt can be politically stable and viable , be it BN or PR if the economy is spinning out of control into the ocean depths just like your Titanic . You have got your priorities wrong . As I mentioned before we have been fed politics foe breakfast , lunch and dinner . We are the only country still in election mood even though the GE has past one year ago .
    With Najib to be sworn in as PM in a matter of days , its best to concentrate on the economy right now cos if Malaysia fails economically , many people will go hungry , crime will rise , bankruptcy will rise , the poor will become poorer , the middle class which forms the major support base for the opposition being affected might just revolt against who is left to be seen .

    Already Penangites are getting frustrated when instead of trying to solve its economic problems , the cocky CM is talking about a tiger park and is lashing out against his critics . Can you believe it , " lashing out against his critics " Need I say more ??

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  10. never ever been able to link the words "towering figures" and Koh Tsu Koon aka "Raja Bodek" together.

    Easy ,
    Towering Raja Bodek Turtle Head Koh Tsu Koon .

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  11. UMNO.....corrupt to the core...

    In case you missed this...

    http://www.themalaysianinsider.com/index.php/malaysia/21451-change-malaysians-believe-in

    "It may have been a good day at the office for Najib with many of the candidates he and his supporters backed going first past the line but what is good enough for Umno is not good enough for the rest of Malaysia.

    Nearly all of the new supreme council members are pockmarked with accusations of corruption, chauvinism, sexual harassment and sexism. Several of them, ministers in Abdullah’s much-maligned Cabinet, have a more serious charge to answer: mediocrity"

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  12. Even the bottom pincher with the initials JJ got elected ! They seem to like bottoms !

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  13. Like you, KTemoc, I wasn't surprised by the election of KJ:

    1) Once I saw the competition -- Mukhriz and the Toyol -- I knew he had a chance. If it was just Mukhriz against him, KJ might have been defeated.

    2) Mukhriz's father made things worse for him by saying that KJ should not stand. This caused a sympathy swing towards KJ.

    1 + 2 above led to Mukhriz being the worst performer of the three. I wasn't surprised by that too.

    Whatever it is, losing to KJ is not as bad as being behind the Toyol: for this reason, and this reason alone, Mukhriz should consider burying his political ambitions forever!

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  14. Sorry for taking space again in your blog, KTemoc, but after writing the above comment, I read in Malaysiakini that the Toyol blames the Pakatan for his defeat in the UMNO elections! Good Lord! I almost fell off from my chair laughing!!

    KJ was attacked much more severely by the Pakatan and bloggers sympathetic to the coalition's parties. He was called all sorts of names: Monyet, Siamang, Kera Jantan (KJ), etc. The "fourth-floor boys," "level-four boys," "budak-budak Tingkat Empat" or Lim Kit Siang's inimitably flowery "the master of the power Putrajaya Fourth Storey" have virtually become obscene phrases in Malaysian politics. Then there were the voluminous Khairy Chronicles of Raja Petra... But in spite of all that, he emerged as the winner in the UMNO Youth race. How was this possible if the Pakatan had an influence on the UMNO elections?

    We must also remember that Mukhriz was rarely attacked by the Pakatan and its bloggers, and was in fact occasionally praised or viewed sympathetically. How then did he get the lowest number of votes? Again, how could this have happened if the Pakatan had an influence on UMNO?

    I have to say this to Mat Khir Toyo: the Pakatan had NO influence, I repeat, NO influence on the UMNO elections, and it was stupid of him to think that they could determine the UMNO party elections in any way. He lost because he simply wasn't good enough.

    If I were him, I would be happy that I wasn't the worst performer in the race. Putting the blame on the Pakatan for an election within UMNO is not on. (If it were state or parliamentary elections, of course, it would be a different matter). This shifting of the blame simply shows how out of touch he is with what is going on in his own party. It also reflects very badly on his estimate of the judgment of the members of UMNO who attended the meeting. I am quite sure that they are more independent minded in this regard at least, and are much less influenced, if at all, by the Pakatan.

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  15. He was even cleared of money politics , guess when you lose , you need to find a scrap goat . He should blame his wife ! Btw the way I have often openly called him a damn racist , and I am glad , in fact rejoicing he lost . He reaped what he sowed . Perhaps as you say , his days are numbered , he's on his way out . I still remember what he said before GE12 , that all BN candidates will win ! Must be his Jakarta guru told him so .
    I think I'm much older than him but he looks like an apek now .

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  16. Chaptokam "its best to concentrate on the economy right now"

    Lets talk about the economy.

    Najib has been an absolutely useless Finance Minister, spending most of his time on Main Belakang scheming to bring down the Perak state government and Selangor as well.

    The Rm 7 Billion 1st economic stimulus disappeared into the pockets of UMNO Class F contractors, and never saw the light of day again.

    Tell me Honestly, MCA Man, have you seen even a single sen of that "Stimulus ?". I haven't.

    Its Income Tax Month again in April. Tell me, who do you pay your income taxes to. Penang State Government ? No, its Lembaga Hasil Dalam Negeri - the Federal Government . What Penang State gets back is just beggar's droppings.

    I love Mongolia...

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  17. Ulan Bator

    The Rm 7 Billion 1st economic stimulus disappeared into the pockets of UMNO Class F contractors,

    To be fair , I would say it didn't disappeared into the pockets of UMNO Class F contractors . There are many class F contractors who are not UMNO supporters but rather PR sympathisers and as far as I know there was NO directive that it be given to only UMNO class F contractors .
    Somehow or the other , thru the Ali Baba concept many jobs are actually done by other contractors . So in many ways , many contractors big or small , Malay , Chinese and Indians do get jobs to do and in a way stimulate the economy .
    The second stimulus is equally the same .

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  18. who do you pay your income taxes to. Penang State Government ? No, its Lembaga Hasil Dalam Negeri - the Federal Government . What Penang State gets back is just beggar's droppings.

    My pay is very negligible , so my taxes whom I pay to are also very negligible after this , that reduction and claims
    however
    The money that I pay to the Penang State Govt is more than I pay to my income taxes . I have to pay a yearly quit rent and a bi yearly house assessment which is very substantial . On top of that since Penang has insufficient parking lots and is always very congested , I get nothing less than five or six council summons every month . There's no more 50%discount so I have to pay $30 for every summons , that amounts to $180 per month or $2160 per year provided its six per mth .
    Take that on average , I contribute over $5000 per year to the State govt , unlike before all parking summons gets a 50% discount and now since LGE took over all parking within the city has been extended from 5.00pm till 12 midnight !
    Many people like me today are paying more to the state than to our income tax . As for income tax if you are earning 2500 a mth I think you need not pay a single cent .

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  19. chaptokam

    You forget the excise and sales tax which we pay for many services and products which go to the federal government. Hope this lapse in memory is not due to 'convenience'

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  20. Chaptokam have been asking me to link to your blog and inform you so???

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  21. Bi yearly house assessment amounts to about RM 100+ x 2 = RM 200-300, unless you own a huge home.
    I suppose MCA man does, but don't complain lah.
    Yearly quit rent is less than RM 100, again unless you own a humungus piece of land - I suppose MCA man does - so don't complaint.

    Don't complaint about fines - OBEY THE LAW.
    I have never paid a traffic or parking fine in 20 years.

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