Media Statement (2) by Lim Kit Siang in Petaling Jaya on Friday, 10^th July 2009: 

Can Najib’s upsurge in popularity on his 100^th Day be sustained with a BN victory in Manek Urai by-election and is he confident enough to seek a motion of confidence when Parliament reconvenes on Oct 19?

Tomorrow is Datuk Seri Najib Razak’s 100^th Day as Malaysia’s sixth Prime Minister.

Najib’s baggage as Prime Minister is vividly illustrated by the pathetic episode where Najib’s spinmeister could work up a “song and a dance” over the fact that Najib’s popularity rating in a recent poll had spiralled to 65% as compared to 45% a month after he became Prime Minister and 42 per cent just before taking over the premiership from Tun Abdullah on April 3, 2009.

Yes, it was quite a remarkable 44% recovery from 45% popularity rating in six weeks for Najib to claw back 20 percentage points in the latest Merdeka Centre opinion poll, but his spinmeisters feigned ignorance that it was really a very dismal rating when compared to the five previous Prime Ministers, Tunku Abdul Rahman, Tun Razak, Tun Hussein, Tun Mahathir and Tun Abdullah who would have no difficulty in securing popularity rating of 95% and over for any opinion poll in their “First 100 Days”.

Can Najib’s upsurge in popularity on his 100^th day be sustained with a Barisan Nasional victory in Manek Urai by-election in Kelantan next Tuesday and is he confident enough of his national popularity to seek a motion of confidence when Parliament reconvenes on Oct 19, something he had not dared to do in the recent three-week meeting of Parliament?

As I had pointedly asked Barisan Nasional MPs in the recent Parliament, wasn’t it true that the real reason why Najib dared not seek a motion of confidence in Parliament was not that he could not be certain of the votes of 83 Pakatan Rakyat MPs, Najib was also unsure that all the Barisan Nasional MPs would cast their votes for him to express their confidence! Talk about ”musuh dalam selimut”!

Let Najib answer on his 100^th Day – is he confident enough that his popularity is on the rise and public support for his policies and pledges, particularly his slogan of “1Malaysia. People First. Performance Now” and his slew of economic and educational reforms as to seek a motion of confidence from Parliament on the sixth month of his premiership in October?

Najib should know that his political, economic and educational reforms have feet of clay.

For instance, what credibility could his 1Malaysia slogan command when Deputy Prime Minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin is only prepared to say that “Umno will fight to the last drop of blood to protect Malay rights”, but not prepared to say that Umno will similarly fight to the last drop of blood to protect the rights of all Malaysians, regardless of race?

Is there any Cabinet Minister who is prepared to publicly say that he or she is prepared to fight to the last drop of blood to protect the rights of his or her race, whether Malays, Chinese, Indians, Kadazans or Ibans, and add in the same breath that he or she is equally prepared to right to the last drop of blood to protect the rights of all Malaysians regardless of race?

Until and unless the leaders of Umno and all the Barisan Nasional component parties are prepared to make this commitment, to fight to the last drop of blood to protect the rights of his or her race, as well as to fight to the last drop of blood to protect the rights of all Malaysians regardless of race, Najib’s 1Malaysia cannot have much meaning!

Najib said recently that the Chinese in Malaysia are most concerned about education, economy, religion and crime and he believes that if these four issues can be resolved, the Chinese will continue to support the Barisan Nasional government.

It is not just the Chinese, but all Malaysians regardless of race, who are also concerned about these four issues of education, economy, religion and crime. What must be added are corruption and Malaysian citizenship rights.

Just on crime and corruption. Is Najib prepared, on the occasion of his 100^th Day, take bold measures to send unmistakable messages that he hears and endorses the cries of Malaysian for change, viz:

• Ensure that the country has a new Inspector-General of Police to provide new police leadership to focus on the core functions of police, particularly to keep crime low and make Malaysians feel safe again in their own country; and

• An all-out battle against corruption and malpractices by establishing two Royal Commissions of Inquiry, (i) into the RM12.5 billion Port Klang Free Zone scandal and (ii) into the RM24 million Istana Khir Toyo scandal of former Umno Selangor Mentri Besar Datuk Seri Khir Toyo?

*Lim Kit Siang, DAP Parliamentary leader & MP for Ipoh Timor