THE affirmation and conviction of former prime minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak by the Federal Court yesterday (Aug 23) has given rise to an important question of UMNO and the Barisan Nasional’s (BN) future in the country.
According to Penang deputy chief minister II Dr P. Ramasamy, Najib’s conviction portends political crises for UMNO and as a result, UMNO might no longer be in the position of strength.
“Before Najib’s conviction, UMNO was riding high as a result of victories in the Melaka and Johor by-elections with the performance in these elections giving the party the confidence to call for an early 15th general election (GE15),” the Perai assemblyperson said.
Ramasamy noted that had Prime Minister Datuk Seri Ismail Sabri Yaakob acquiesced with UMNO, the situation might have been different today.
“Ismail Sabri has his own reasons for not calling for an early GE15 and not because he wanted the case against Najib to be disposed of early,” he noted.
“He probably did not want to give the impression that he was under UMNO’s thumb, or maybe as a popular prime minister, he felt that he could even become the next prime minister if he called for GE15 at a suitable time perhaps after getting Budget 2023 passed in Parliament for next year.”
UMNO badly dented
With Najib’s conviction and sentence affirmed by the Federal Court, Ramasamy described UMNO as being “badly dented”, political-wise.
“Whatever feelings of confidence they might have had evaporated after Najib’s conviction and it’s not just him as there are chances that his former deputy and UMNO president Datuk Seri Ahmad Zahid Hamidi is next in line to be tried and possibly convicted,” he remarked.
“Furthermore, the littoral combat ship (LCS) fiasco has come back to haunt UMNO recently. The project was approved with the expenditure of RM9 bil with RM6 bil already disbursed although none of the ships were delivered yet.
“There are plenty of tales about how money meant for the ships were siphoned off by politicians, their intermediaries, the contractors and navy personnel and it will be a wonder if the ships were delivered after all these financial mess.”
Ramasamy noted that just when UMNO was about to emerge from the 1MDB scandal, the LCS controversy had wrecked another colossal damage on the party.
“Najib’s – and possibly Zahid’s – convictions, alongside the 1MDB and currently the LCS scandals threaten to wipe UMNO out from the country’s political scene,” he reckoned.
“It is indeed ironic that the very party that promised to lead BN to victory in GE15 has come to be saddled with Najib’s conviction, other possible convictions as well as the imbroglio associated with the LCS project.
“Is UMNO truly confident of repeating Melaka and Johor’s by-election victories? Is UMNO – the super-ordinate member of BN, even relevant in Malaysian politics anymore, or is it time to say goodbye to UMNO?”
“A victory for democracy”
Meanwhile, Parti Sosialis Malaysia (PSM) saluted the decision by the five-person apex court bench chaired by Chief Justice Tengku Maimun Tuan Mat when it unanimously dismissed Najib’s appeal to quash his conviction and sentencing.
“Najib’s delay tactics made us more convinced that he is guiltier than ever as he didn’t make any attempts to seriously appeal his case,” said PSM deputy chief S Arutchelvan.
“All his delay tactics were sickening but predictable. [The Federal Court affirming his conviction and sentence] is a victory and after a long time we can proudly say that our justice system has delivered.
“We hope that the judiciary verdict is respected and not overturned by executive manoeuvre.”
Echoing Arutchelvan, PSM central committee member and activist Sharan Raj called Najib’s incarceration for abuse of power “a victory for democracy especially for people power”, adding that it shows that nothing is greater than the power of the people.
“Since the era of enlightenment and the invention of the printing press machine, the media has played an important role to advance democracy around the world and this includes bringing down regimes and dictators while exposing oppression,” he noted.
“My sincerest appreciation for the work done by great reporters and journalists who had fought hard to bring truth [behind the abuse of power] to the people.
“Free and impartial media is indeed the last bastion of democracy and progress.” – Aug 24, 2022
