Media statement by Lim Kit Siang in Kuala Lumpur on Saturday, 23^rd April 2011: 

Is Najib becoming another Pak Lah - a Prime Minister whose writ does not run in UMNO?

The question many are asking is whether the Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak is becoming another Pak Lah, the fifth Prime Minister whose writ did not run in Umno although he was also Umno President ending in his ignominious exit as Umno chief and prime minister.

This question has become more pronounced after Najib’s meek and completely unacceptable stance over Utusan Malaysia’s “1Melayu, 1Bumi” call.

Najib’s tame excuse is that the “1Melayu, 1Bumi” call was made by a columnist of a local daily and was the personal opinion of the writer concerned.

Najib’s excuse might be acceptable if Utusan Melayu is not the official organ of Umno, whose columns represent the mainstream opinion and demands of the Umno leadership in government.

Najib’s meek stance is doubly unacceptable because Utusan Malaysia’s “1Melayu, 1Bumi” call is an open challenge to his 1Malaysia policy in the past two years – tantamount to an open slap in the face of the Prime Minister’s signature concept.

Furthermore, if any Chinese newspaper had for instance called for a “1Chinese” campaign in the country, it would have been slapped with the full weight of the law, the press closed down and its editor/writer charged with sedition. Why the double standards in the case of Utusan Malaysia?

The Cabinet on Wednesday should repudiate and condemn the Utusan Malaysia’s “1Melayu, 1Bumi” call as irresponsible, seditious and a subtle attempt to sabotage Najib’s 1Malaysia policy.

As Umno President, he should revamp Utusan Malaysia to ensure that it should stop its anti-national campaign and to stop subverting his 1Malaysia signature policy.

If the Cabinet is silent on Utusan Malaysia’s “1Melayu, 1Bumi”, it could only mean that Najib’s 1Malaysia policy is sheer hypocrisy and chicanery costing Malaysian taxpayers RM70 million for APCO to package it as the greatest gift by Najib to Malaysians.

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