Isn’t it obvious why Najib wants an early GE15?

DOES it take an understanding of rocket science to realise why former prime minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak is pushing for an early general election? 

Whether such a move is for Barisan Nasional (BN) to take advantage of the present situation to gain a victory or it is meant for Najib to save himself from going to jail (or both) is not clear. 

Najib commented recently that Prime Minister Datuk Seri Ismail Sabri Yaacob cannot give lame excuses such as inflation and state of the economy to delay GE15. 

Inflation cannot be used as a reason because it is without reason of understanding but based on research and evidence. 

For Najib inflation is cyclical as it rears its ugly head every two or three years.  

He urged UMNO president Datuk Seri Ahmad Zahid Hamidi and deputy president Datuk Seri Mohamad Hasan to advise Ismail Sabri so that that the latter could make the right decision. 

In other words, Ismail Sabri is being wrongly advised about GE15. 

Delay in holding GE15 might not be advantageous to BN and the future of the country. Holding GE15 now might be right given the disarray of the opposition in general and PKR in particular. 

He is of the opinion it was the delay in holding GE14 that had caused BN’s political defeat. 

It is obvious that Najib wants to expedite the next GE15 so that the Federal Court’s decision on his appeal might be heard after GE15. 

If BN wins federal political power before the federal court makes a decision, there is high chance that BN might be better positioned to save certain UMNO leaders from being prosecuted or even jailed. 

There is even possibility that Najib might be the next prime minister.  

If this happens before the outcome of the federal court decision on his appeal, there is a belief that Najib might be in a position to exert influence to change the outcome of court cases or those who are being currently prosecuted. 

Ismail Sabri might give inflation or the state of economy as reasons why the polls have to be delayed but Najib’s talk about inflation being cyclical appearing once in two or three years is merely to refute the reason given by Ismail Sabri. 

Najib’s calling for research on inflation is merely to indicate that Ismail Sabri is not a learned person or he did not know what he was talking about. 

There is no reason for asking the two UMNO leaders to advise Ismail Sabri on the need hold the general election early. 

Zahid Hamidi is in same boat as Najib as criminal charges have been levelled against him for financial misdeeds. He might be prosecuted and jailed. 

Najib’s argument that BN would have won the GE14 if the election had been not delayed is a plain nonsense. 

Late or early, Najib knows that there was no way the BN could have won the GE14. He was the principal person that had brought BN down like a pack of cards. 

BN collapsed under its own weight of corruption and financial scandals. It was not that the delay in holding the GE14 the caused BN’s defeat but the weight of corruption and financial misdeeds. 

Najib’s involvement in the colossal 1MDB affair was the crushing weight and the reason for the collapse of the BN government after GE14. 

 Datuk Seri Najib Razak

 

The whole world knows why Najib and some UMNO leaders are calling for an early GE15. 

Ismail Sabri might behave like a “zombie” but I am sure he knows what he is doing. Whether it is inflation or the state of economy, he wants the Government to go for a full term. 

In other words, the GE15 is to be held early next year. 

Since this will be his last term in office, he wants to prolong his stay. He is faced with never-ending pressure from UMNO for early polls, but Ismail Sabri might not be that weak after all. 

There is nothing for him to lose by succumbing to the whims and fancies of certain UMNO leaders. 

He knows that the loud calls for an early general election from some UMNO leaders like Najib is to save themselves from going to jail.  

He might be concerned that if he calls for an early general election, it might even be tantamount to interference with the judicial process. 

I personally think that it makes sense to hold the general election upon completion of a full term. 

Unlike Najib, Ismail Sabri – despite his weakness in administrating the country – is fully aware that the economy is in a bad shape. Inflation is a worrisome phenomenon. 

If the GE15 is held in a few months’ time, chances that states controlled by Pakatan Harapan (PH) and PAS might not participate in the election. 

They might hold the election after the completion of a full term. 

Ismail Sabri might be thinking, why go for an early general election if there is no participation from states like Penang, Selangor and Kelantan? 

I am not sure when the federal court will decide on the appeal of Najib but it is clear that he is getting panicky by doing desperate things such as calling for an early GE15. 

The prosecution has presented a airtight case with the possibility that Najib might have to go to jail. 

Whether inflation is cyclical or not, Najib should explain his strange cyclical theory of inflation to ordinary Malaysians.  

Since they are the ones facing the brunt of the rise in prices, they might have an apt reply to a man who is responsible for making the country poorer by billions. – June 2, 2022  

Subscribe and get top news delivered to your Inbox everyday for FREE