Media Statement by Lim Kit Siang in Petaling Jaya on Thursday, 4^th March 2010: 

Najib cannot find real comfort in PKR’s agonizing self-cleansing process when his 1Malaysia concept and Barisan Nasional are in such tatters

UMNO and Barisan Nasional leaders are fully exploiting the present turmoil in Pakatan Rakyat caused by the PKR’s agonizing self-cleansing process but the Prime Minister, Datuk Seri Najib Razak cannot find real comfort when his 1Malaysia slogan and concept – in less than a year – and the Barisan Nasional are in such tatters.

Only in today’s Sin Chew Daily, the Gerakan youth leader Lim Si Ping said that this is the best time for Gerakan to pull out of Barisan Nasional and that it is only by leaving Barisan that Gerakan can restore its dignity.

If Pakatan Rakyat is tottering on its last legs as pictured by the mainstream media (msm) in the past few days, such a thought would not have occurred to the Gerakan youth leader!

Nanyang Siang Pau today reported that the Prime Minister has issued an ultimatum to the three MCA warring factions to “ceasefire” within this month because of an imminent Cabinet reshuffle in April, leading to the latest speculation that the newest permutation in the “Three Kingdom” MCA battle will see a Chua-Liow vs Ong realignment.

It is not only the lesser Barisan Nasional parties who are chronically afflicted with fatal schisms like MIC and PPP, even the UMNO “Big Brother” is seriously fractured, with Najib’s authority weakening, instead of strengthening, by the day.

This is obvious by the way that Najib’s 1Malaysia concept was rubbished by forces in Umno.

Yesterday, Berita Harian openly joined Utusan Malaysia in the divisive , provocative and incendiary campaign to falsely paint Penang Chief Minister Lim Guan Eng and the Pakatan Rakyat Penang State Government as anti-Malay and anti-Islam, when such incitement goes against the very grain of Najib’s 1Malaysia campaign.

It highlights the impotence and irrelevance of the Minister in charge of the 1Malaysia programme Tan Sri Dr. Koh Tsu Koon and the entire 1Malaysia campaign.

In fact, it could be asked whether Najib is actually the real target of such an irresponsible and inflammatory campaign as the projects cited to attack Guan Eng and the Penang State Government were or are Federal projects – like the Penang Global City Centre, the second Penang bridge and the UDA project in Tanjong Tokong.

The 1Malaysia Government Transformation Programme (GTP) RoadMap launched by Najib in January, focusing on the need to promote an “all-inclusive 1Malaysia media”, admitted:

“However, when some of the reporting and writing becomes too ethnic-centric or even takes on a more race-centred angle, it raises, rather than breaks down, barriers. Further, instead of providing constructive and valid criticism, some writers abuse the greater freedom of expression now available to use terms and express feelings that are racist or inflammatory in nature and tone.” (p 16)

The 1Malaysia GTP Roadmap is describing the genre of Malaysian journalism which is anti-1Malaysia – presently spearheaded by Utusan Malaysia and now joined by Berita Harian, both UMNO-owned vehicles.

Would it be wrong to infer that the irresponsible, racist and inflammatory attack by Utusan Malaysia and Berita Harian against Guan Eng are directed ultimately at Najib by the Prime Minister’s enemies in Umno – unless Najib is himself the mastermind behind the Utusan Malaysia and Berita Harian attacks against Guan Eng?

On Sunday, former Prime Minister Tun Abdullah made a very significant speech when he publicly revealed that all is not well with Najib’s 1Malaysia in Umno itself, and asked UMNO leaders to bravely speak up on their reservations and objections to the 1Malaysia concept.

Abdullah should know better. When he was Prime Minister, there was sky-high praises for his “Islam Hadhari” concept but which disappeared from public consciousness in the first day of the Najib premiership!

PKR and Pakatan Rakyat can only emerge from the current long-overdue shake-ups and shake-outs stronger and healthier, unaffected and unswerving in the historic mission to bring about far-reaching political change in the next general elections.

Who can say that Najib can prove the famous RAHMAN prophecy wrong that he will be the last and final UMNO Prime Minister of Malaysia?

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