Media statement by Tony Pua Kiam Wee in Kuala Lumpur on Monday, 1^st August 2011:

Najib is proving to be the lamest Prime Minister in Malaysia's history - he has neither the political will nor courage to even defend his own policy when it is repudiated by his Deputy

At the Malaysian Student Leaders' Summit yesterday, the Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Abdul Razak exposed himself as a weak leader with no political conviction and neither political will nor political courage when he refused to defend his "1Malaysia" policy as defined in the Government Transformation Plan (GTP) policy document.

The GTP developed by PEMANDU in the Prime Ministers' office had defined 1Malaysia as a "nation where every Malaysian perceives himself or herself as Malaysian first, and by race, religion, geographical region or socio-economic background second".

However, the Deputy Prime Minister, Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin had twice reiterated in 2009 that he is "Malay first" for "he would be shunned by all the Malays if he were to say that he is a Malaysian first".

Despite "1Malaysia" being made the cornerstone of this administration, Najib had refused to openly declare himself a "Malaysian first" or commit to its definition when asked by a student at the Summit. Instead, he dodged the question by giving answer that would have left the students in no doubt that the man before them is no leader. Najib said that he does not "want to respond in a way that will divide me from my deputy. In Malaysia, that can be very dangerous".

He further added that "it does not matter what you say, just as long as you follow (the 1 Malaysia concept)". It certainly doesn't take 600 of our brightest young minds at the forum to tell the Prime Minister that you can't follow a concept that is neither here nor there, and can't even be defined properly.

Najib's refusal to declare support for his "Malaysian first" policy clearly demonstrates that he has no personal conviction of his "1Malaysia" clarion call. In addition, despite the seeming importance of the policy to achieve a united and harmonious multi-racial Malaysia, he is willing to sacrifice "1Malaysia" for political expediency.

Instead of demonstrating leadership and conviction by standing firm on his "principles"and demanding that his Ministers support his cause, Najib has chosen to mollycoddle his Deputy, as the latter disagrees with him.

In the past, we have repeatedly witnessed former Deputy Prime Ministers openly declaring their loyalty and undying support for the then Prime Ministers. What we are seeing now today is the complete reverse, where the Prime Minister is doing his utmost to avoid displeasing his Deputy, even at the expense of his most important policy lynchpin.

It raises the question as whether Najib's position as the Umno president is so "very dangerous" that he has to march to Muhyiddin's beat, with the latter firmly in the driver's seat.

If the Prime Minister himself does not even dare to stand firm on his convictions, and has no political will and courage to ensure that his entire administration, including his own Deputy fall in line with his Malaysian first policy, how does he even expect ordinary Malaysians to believe in him?

* Tony Pua Kiam Wee, DAP National Publicity Secretary & MP for Petaling Jaya Utara