Since his rise to power, Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak has, over the last few years, tried to present himself as a reformer. To the rest of the world, he appears to have succeeded to a certain extent.

Recently, the Wall Street Journal Asia published an article about him, portraying him as bringing the winds of change to Malaysia. His recent proposed changes such as the 1Malaysia campaign, the ‘people-friendly and well-accepted’ Budget 2012, as well as the newly mentioned radical changes towards certain laws (the ISA, for example) have added to his burgeoning reputation, after sparking discussion and criticism by large quarters of the population.

However, are all these actions taken by the PM meant to be an illusion? Malaysians are skeptical, and who can blame them? The current generation of citizens have grown up in an environment where the government has promised much and delivered little. Be it Tun Dr Mahatir (who certainly did a lot, but little towards law reforms and corruption) or Tun Abdullah Badawi, our Prime Ministers have certainly disappointed us.

Najib, on the other hand, is the first PM to propose major changes to key issues that Malaysians worry about. So far, he has certainly shown a willingness to move away from his predecessors failed and much-maligned policies, hence charting a new course from himself. First off is the economy. The recent Budget 2012 has gained much acclaim from the media (but then again, which budget doesn’t?) because of the benefits it grants the people. The projected growth rate of 5-5.5% from a projected 4.3% for 2012 is also a reason for optimism. What more, these stats have been backed up by International Monetary Fund (IMF).

Now all he has to do is deliver on what he has promised and balance the budget for quite the first time in the last fourteen years.

Second are the proposed reviews of the Internal Security Act (ISA). He recently announced in his Malaysia Day speech that the much detested piece of legislation would probably be repealed. All these changes are good. However, many Malaysians are branding this news as too good to be true. There is already speculation that the two new laws to replace the ISA would be even worse!

Furthermore, the timing of the suggested changes has also done nothing to quell the skepticism of the people. As we all know, the thirteenth General Elections will take place very soon. Early next year, perhaps? Who knows? I don’t think even Datuk Najib knows yet (or maybe he does..)? Are the timing of these suggested benefits mere coincidences? I think not.

This election will be a key indicator to Datuk Najib and Barisan Nasional on whether or not his administration’s policies have been a success. The ball is now in the people’s court, so to speak. It is now their choice to decide. And hopefully whoever gets elected will not disappoint the rakyat this time.

Galvin is an 18 year old who believes that voting is a right with responsibility attached to it. He had wanted a lot to express his views but had no idea how to until he stumbled upon this website called...

8 replies on “Najib The Reformer?”

  1. Somehow, I agree that he is a reformer. Because of him, many ignorant malaysians are now up to date with current politic affairs and even many more now have the courage to demand a change. Now that is what i call reformation.

  2. nookvillage,

    I hate to say this I tend to agree with you that a few opposition leaders are just as bad or even worse like lusty Anwar and mad dog LKS. But for you to say Najib is determine and hard working and at the same time failing to acknowledge Najib is just trying to create illusions and worse of all playing around with words is surely going too far.
    A devil is a devil and there is no such thing that there is a good devil around.
    Take another example when he promised to the Bersih 2 organizers that the proposed rally could be held at a stadium and the very next day he turned around doing just the opposite, he not only banned the proposed rally, he even made those attending the rally illegal and had his lackeys, the police, came out to put up as many impediments as possible plus the intimidating police, armed with shields and batons were there to throw gas bombs (even at the hospital), chemical laced water cannons at the unarmed people trying to rally for fair and clean election. I repeat FAIR AND CLEAN election ! You may comprehend what a fair and clean election is but with all the educations he had received he did not and still does not know what a fair and clean election is !. He thrives on deceits to stay as P.M..
    He must have known that if ever a fair and clean election is allowed the deceitful and corrupted Umno morons will not be around and above all he will not be the P.M. any more. That I must add will be the best thing that has ever happened to Malaysia and soon the country will be in the first world with heaps of reserve without having to borrow even from China. Right now the country is for some years now have been running a deficit and according to one of Najib's own ministers, at this rate the country will go bankrupt in a few years. Where has all the money gone to ?
    In the foreign private accounts of the deceitful and corrupted Umno made half breed Malays , one good example is the grand son of the pariah from Kerala , the shenanigan Mahathir, his multi millionaire son and his cronies. It haunts me almost everyday when is the Malay going to wake up that this shenanigan is NOT a Malay even though he keeps trying to say he is, this is just so he and his children can keep enriching themselves in the name of being a Malay
    when he is not and never will be.

  3. a man who failed 2 gain respect from his own wife can never rule 1 country properly. he's just a mundane hypocrite.

  4. At least, he is far better than any opposition members available now! He is focus, determine and hardworking.

  5. He is a typical deceitful and corrupted Umno morons, he can promise heaven and the stars but he will deliver only illusions, just like his promise that all top students regardless of their races will be given scholarships to further their studies. But at the end did the non Malay top students got send abroad to further their education ? No, only the Malay students were and the non Malay students were sent to the local varsities, with the glorified names of varsities of high school standards. Their standards were so low that even Najib and all his deceitful and corrupted morons do not deem them fit enough for even one top Malay scholarship student to further his or her further study. And above all he failed to inform the people how many of the non Malay students rejected the so call scholarships . That is the kind of his promise !
    That was just an example of the kind of his promise , wait and see the laws he has repealed in order to gain more votes and to live up to his promises that he will reform they will be replaced with even more authoritative ones, same old toxic laws just with new bottles, He announced the need to reform just shortly after he became the P.M. more than two years back and now still needs some few months to work out the details. Is this his kind of transformation he is talking about ? First of all he is just playing around with words and insulting the people's intelligence to think that they will continue to believe in all his promises ! He thinks he is David Copperfield who is good at creating illusions.

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