Najib's 1Malaysia: 'The truth is finally out'

Dukau Papau 2:51PM Sep 19, 2012

Najib Abdul Razak’s “carefully crafted” public persona has been ripped off to reveal a “racist” who has contradicted his own 1Malaysia slogan, said a Sarawak opposition politician.

Sarawak PKR chairperson Baru Bian (right) delivered this damning indictment of the premier following a speech last Friday in Pekan, Pahang.

Calling for unity between Malays and Umno to confront challenges ahead, Najib had said “the 13th general election is not an ordinary election. Instead it will determine the survival of the Malays”.

Speaking to reporters in Kuching, Sarawak, today, Bian noted: “Finally, the Umno president, who happens to be the prime minister has spoken the truth.

“I say he has spoken the truth, not because the statement is true but because what he has said is what he and Umno, ‘the most successful party in the world’, truly and deeply believe to be the truth.

“Here we have a direct statement from the prime minister, who has always carefully crafted his public persona to being one in favour of multi-racial and multi-cultural principles supposedly embodied in his so-called '1Malaysia' slogan, openly declaring that the 13th general election boils down to one primary issue: the survival of the Malays.

“Mr Prime Minister, may I point out that your statement is not only racist, but it also contradicts your 1Malaysia slogan, and confirms in the minds of many that Umno is now on the brink of imploding and therefore grasping at straws. And may I say, what rotten, flimsy straws they are.”

He reminded Najib that Malaysians are not imbeciles despite his thinking that they might be.

“Your racism is not only outdated, it is abhorrent and unbecoming of a leader. Instead of seeking to unite, you are now overtly seeking to divide. Is this 1Malaysia?

“Is this what the BN is all about at the end of the day? If this is the real reason for the BN’s existence, then I thank you very much for declaring it loud and clear.
“It is now obvious to those of us who truly value our unity amidst our diversity that the BN parties do not share our same values. Now the rational and peace-loving peoples of Malaysia can truly decide for themselves.”

Bian urged the people to vote in Pakatan Rakyat which is “multi-racial and multi-religious”, saying he believes that ordinary Malaysians “should be wise enough to make that decision”.

‘BN has failed us’

On the Kuching Declaration that Pakatan signed last Sunday, Bian said many interesting comments have been heard since.

In particular, Sarawak Chief Minister Abdul Taib Mahmud (left) had described it as “unrealistic” as the state already enjoys wide autonomy and the federal government’s commitment to develop it.

“We are in fact moving very fast and the initiative from the state government has enabled the state to have the full support from the federal government,” Taib had said.

“And when the opposition makes the declaration, they seem not to understand the mechanism of the government.”

However, Bian reiterated that the seven points in the declaration are aspirations of the Malaysia Agreement that had been agreed upon in 1963.

He dismissed the claim that Pakatan is sowing the seeds of discord by pitting Malaysians against one another across the geographical divide.

“This is not the truth. Leave it to the Sarawakians and Sabahans to judge. As far as I am concerned, that the dissatisfaction has been very clear for the past 49 years since we formed Malaysia.

“You all experience and know personally whether we are on par with (the peninsula) in terms of development, in terms of what we should have - for example, on the royalty on petroleum, and  the wealth of the state. You can all judge that.

“The latest statistics show that Sabah and Sarawak are among the poorest (states in the country). In fact in terms of the people, as stated by (the DAP’s) Lim Kit Siang, we are last. So it is not that the Kuching Declaration is showing the seeds of discontent.

“I believe the truth is now coming out. It is so obvious to ordinary Sarawakians that the BN has failed us for the past 49 years. We are in fact disclosing the truth.”