In preparation for the looming Johor state election, former Prime Minister Najib Razak was invited by the MCA to visit a food court in Perling, Johor where he was greeted warmly by the predominantly Chinese patronage. Incessant use of the phrase ‘bossku’ filled the food court while selfies were taken and shared, painting a scene that completely contradicted the Chinese community’s rejection of Najib and Barisan Nasional (BN) in the last general election.
This event was later reported by some news media as an indicative sign of political support from the Chinese community for Najib and BN – that the Chinese community was ready for the convicted politician and his party to make a comeback. Nonetheless, whether this hearty welcome will translate into votes on 12 March remains unknown.
In my opinion, the reaction shown by the Chinese patrons on that day is not at all surprising. If anything, it was an entirely human response. 25 years after O.J. Simpson was found liable by a US civil court jury for the killings of his former wife and her friend, he remains a ‘celebrity’ to many. People flock to him for selfies and autographs, and journalists still keep up with Simpson’s everyday life, yet it is undeniable that Simpson had been found liable for wrongful death in the double murder.
Similarly, when the people in that food court flocked to Najib for pictures, they were not necessarily expressing political support. What the people saw was a disgraced politician who was once so unreachable, now suddenly too accessible. They took pictures not to boast about who they were voting for, but to show their grandchildren that an ex-Prime Minister once walked into a food court in Johor where he was used as a mere photo op.