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Bernama
By Alan Ting
Najib delivers promise on political transformation for Malaysia's future
KUALA LUMPUR, Sept 25 (Bernama) -- When Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun
Razak took over as the sixth prime minister on April 3, 2009, he set his sights
on resolving domestic economic issues and tackling political reform.
In his maiden speech over television as the nation's premier, Najib even pledged
to conduct a comprehensive review of the Internal Security Act (ISA) which
allowed for the indefinite detention of people without trial, and even announced
the release of 13 people held under the draconian act.
He then unveiled the Government Transformation Programme (GTP), Economic
Transformation Programme (ETP) and Political Transformation Plan (PTP), a
reflection of his integrated and visionary push to transform Malaysia into a
truly developed nation by 2020.
For political transformation, Najib even suggested that the Barisan Nasional (BN)
charter be amended to allow direct membership into the ruling coalition through
four new kinds of membership in BN - affiliate membership, associate membership,
Friends of BN and fourth, the BN Rakan Muda club.
But the biggest transformation since he took over and regarded as Najib's
boldest step in political reform was the repealing of the ISA. In other words,
the prime minister has delivered on his promise.
According to MIC secretary-general S. Murugessan, the prime minister would be
remembered as one who was willing to make such a bold decision.
"It would be a lasting legacy of Datuk Seri Najib. As a lawyer, I feel relieved
(about the repealing of the ISA)," he said.
Senior lawyer Roger Tan said Najib s courageous decision to repeal the ISA was
the right thing to do and it showed that the government was receptive to the
feelings on the ground.
People nowadays, generally believed that no one should be detained without trial
anymore, he said.
However, Tan said by making such a bold decision, Najib was bound to face
criticism even though it boded well towards having a more open society in
Malaysia.
"This is like the proverbial line of "damned if you do, damned if you don't ,"
he added.
Selangor BN publicity chief and former MCA vice-president Datuk Yap Pian Hon
said the repealing of the ISA showed that BN was changing and being more
adaptive of the people s views.
"Initially, many people didn't believe that Najib would do so. But I must say
that after the 2008 general election, BN has begun to listen to the people more,
and not only that, it is taking action, as well, he said.
Yap, once detained under the ISA for 50 days during 'Ops Lalang' (Operation
Lalang) in 1987, said Najib had shown that BN had been pro-active by listening
to the people and it was not due to pressure from the Opposition.
"The Opposition has been claiming credit for everything that the government is
doing, saying that it is due to their pressure. This is their political strategy
because they don t have any political capital to whack the government, he said.
A political analyst from the Institute of Ethnic Studies at Universiti
Kebangsaan Malaysia, Professor Datuk Shamsul Amri Baharuddin, believed the
repealing of the ISA had nothing to do with pressure from the Opposition or the
impending general election.
"It's more towards having a fairer society. The reason I say this is because the
election is largely decided on the price of petrol, food, cost of living and
jobs, but not on the ISA," he said.
He said the reason for Opposition parties to clamour that the repealing of the
ISA was due to their pressure was partly because they had difficulty in pushing
their ideas to the people and therefore, resorted to saying that the government
had stolen their ideas, even from Buku Jingga, Pakatan Rakyat s political
manifesto.
But the point is that Najib, as a reforming prime minister, has done it. And he
has been getting many accolades for his decision.
The Sydney Morning Herald commented in a recent editorial that Najib s decision
to rescind the draconian ISA marked a bold step in political maturity for
Malaysia.
"Najib needs praise and encouragement to keep going further, to make Malaysia
the vibrant and creative country of potential," it said.
A blogpost in the Financial Times commented: "Najib is the toast of many
Malaysian liberals after announcing an unexpectedly far-reaching package of
civil liberty reforms. Najib is clearly emerging as a reforming prime minister.
"The government has also taken a string of foreign policy initiatives, including
a major improvement in relations with neighbouring Singapore, and the
establishment of diplomatic relations with the Vatican. People who know the
prime minister, insist that he is serious about reform.
Sholto Byrnes, contributing editor of the New Statesman and a frequent
commentator on South-east Asian politics and religion, wrote an opinion piece in
The National in the United Arab Emirates that Najib s decision had renewed
Malaysia s promise of a tolerant Muslim leadership.
"This is why, reforms announced by Najib Tun Razak, are so welcome and could
help make the country a beacon of hope, once more, he said.
"Some have scoffed at his previous initiatives, such as the '1Malaysia' concept,
which aims to break down the barriers among the country's different races and
build a united national identity, or the Global Movement of Moderates."
"But the doubters have had the ground pulled from beneath their feet by this
latest move (on the ISA). It unequivocally marks an expansion of freedom in
Malaysia which any future government will find very hard to restrict again.
Najib deserves some applause for his bravery, noted Byrnes.
A blogpost on The Economist described Najib as 'The Man with the Plan'...and if
all these laws (ISA, Printing Presses and Publications Act) are indeed repealed
and changes implemented, then the political landscape in Malaysia might look
very different in a few years' time, and Najib will be able to claim a lot of
credit for that.
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