Datuk Seri Najib Tun Abdul Razak looked confident and high spirit on the
night of April 6 when he launched the Barisan Nasional (BN) manifesto.
He was flanked by all leaders of the parties in the coalition witnessed by more 50,000 BN members and supporters.
To Najib, that Saturday night was the highlight of what he has done the
past four years as Prime Minister, fulfilling the promises made in 2008
general election.
That was the height of the transformations programmes he had taken since
he took over the Prime Ministership from then Tun Abdullah Ahmad Badawi
in April, 2009.
That was his final countdown – things he has been doing since the four
years as Prime Minister and Umno president, things he plans to do and
things he listed for the future of the people and nation.
It was exactly like presenting his report card for everybody to peruse and make judgement.
Najib was pushed up to the president’s post by angry Umno delegates
following the dismal performance of BN in the 2008 general election, the
party was at its lowest ebb.
Its coalition partners MCA, MIC, Gerakan and others in the Peninsular
were considered as ‘badly injured with some waiting for death’ while
parties in Sabah and Sarawak were still stable despite being ‘bashed’.
It was not easy and neither was it smooth sailing as the ruling BN was
reeling from the dismal performance as well as the shocked that came
with it.
Even though BN did not lose but reduced majority is bad enough for a
coalition party that has ruled the country since Independence with
two-thirds majority all along, the feeling of being ‘abandoned’ and ‘not
appreciated’.
Understanding the core problem of BN – aloof and detached from the
ground – Najib began first with his Economic Transformation Programme
(ETP), a programme that enhance and expand the economic sector where
merit is the criteria.
Najib came under fire from Malay business associations as he introduced
the New Economic Model (NEM) that seemingly sidelining the Malays and
Malay businesses which needed much help from the government.
Najib was, at that time, seen as not an Umno president who is supposedly
to protect interest of the Malays but more of a Malaysian which worries
Umno members and Malays at large.
Worse news for the Malays who have been enjoying APs of imported cars at
that time was Najib’s announcement that such ‘gifts’ would be stopped
by 2015.
While most Malays welcomed the news, APs holders which number few
hundreds were jittery as their ‘free income that amounted to millions a
year’ would be lost in few years’ time.
Noisiest among the Malay NGOs at that time was Perkasa, a Malay NGO that
attracted many Umno leaders and members as it champions the malay cause
and Islam.
Led by rebel-rouser and former Umno member Ibrahim Ali, Perkasa was seen
as the savior for the Malays as Umno began to become more neutralized
and shedding away its Malay-ultra image.
Najib managed to cool things down with his explanation and then
introduced Political Transformation Programme (PTP) followed by
Government Transformation Programme (GTP).
He then travelled the country explaining in detail all his programmes
which began to make the people understand what his plans were and how
these plans would be implemented.
Najib was actually selling himself for the sake of BN because at that
time no one can market BN to the people anymore, even Umno members, the
staunchest of members of any party, did not have much confidence.
Najib was all alone, walking the streets and having teh tarik with the
masses, while listening to the people’s needs and wishes, experiencing
life on the street, trying to win back lost ‘love and trust’.
During this time, Malaysians at large and Umno members termed Najib as
the ‘Obama of Malaysia’ as they see him campaigning as though Malaysians
would be voting for an individual, not a party.
With the ruling BN at its lowest ebb, Najib was left with no choice but
to give the coalition a new image while leaders of the other parties in
the coalition were ‘shy and shameful’ to ‘lift their heads up for fear
of being shot by the oppositions.’
And Najib was under heavy ‘shelling’ from the oppositions – openly in
the oppositions’ print media and in cyber with oppositions’ bloggers
having a field day exposing make-believe stories.
Undettered, Najib walked forward and began engaging the youngsters –
since the young voters comprise come 3 million-odd – in cyber through
facebook, twitter and sms and other mode that youngsters love using in
this modern era.
Approaching the voters in a methodical manner and according to
categories, Najib finally reached the core – the Chinese community – now
considered as the king-maker that determines the numbers.
Najib began ‘loosening up’ to the demands of the community with getting
the government to recognize TAR college diplomas and degrees, giving
more financial aid to Chinese schools as acknowledging the importance of
Chinese education seems to be the core grievance of the community.
Feeling confident that everything has been done to win back the minds
and hearts of the people, and after four years of hard work and being
ridiculed and shamed and attacked, on April 6 Najib presented his report
card.
And that night, none of the leaders of the parties in the coalition felt
shy and scared as they stood beside Najib with confidence yelling out
the ‘way cry’.
It is now up to the people to peruse and judge – against the backdrop of
heightened racial and religious issues raised by the oppositions with
Najib’s methodical approach.
And even the ‘shy’ leaders of other parties in the coalition have woken
up to lend support, brave to counter allegations and conduct attacks but
have they got enough time to win back the hearts and minds of lost
support?
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