THE people who recently flocked to former prime minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak for photographs at a food court in Johor does not automatically translate to them expressing political support for him, said Kepong MP Lim Lip Eng.
The DAP man was referring to Najib who was recently invited by MCA ahead of the Johor state polls to visit a food court in Perling, Johor where he was greeted warmly by the predominantly Chinese patronage.
Incessant use of the phrase ‘bossku’ had 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.
The event was later reported by several news media as an indicative sign of political support from the Chinese community for Najib and BN and that the Chinese community was ready for the disgraced former prime minister and his party to make a comeback.
“What the people saw was a disgraced politician who was once so unreachable, now suddenly too accessible,” Lim remarked.
“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.”
According to Lim, the Chinese patrons’ reaction was “not at all surprising” and added that if anything, it was “an entirely human response”.
Citing former NFL football star OJ Simpson as an example, Lim said that 25 years after Simpson was found liable by a US civil court for the murder of his former wife and her friend, he remained 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,” he pointed out. – Feb 28, 2022
