Zaid: Even if Najib is replaced, handouts will not cease

Nothing much will change as Umno will continue with the same old approach on making money from government projects as old habits die hard.

KUALA LUMPUR: Former Law Minister Zaid Ibrahim wants to remind everybody for starters that if Prime Minister Najib Abdul Razak is sacrificed by his own people, in an irony and a tragedy, it would not be because he did something wrong, but because he was caught doing something wrong. “Najib can be replaced by a new Prime Minister but the handouts will not cease, ” Zaid said in his latest blog posting.

“When the people who now want to throw him out were taking his money, they didn’t ask where it came from. They kissed his hands and failed to express any unhappiness with his generosity.”

In all probability, he reiterated, nothing much will change as Umno will continue with the same old approach on making money from government projects as old habits die hard. “The best thing is for the whole Cabinet to resign and ask forgiveness for buying votes. They can’t feign surprise that Najib had so much money when they, again, benefited from it.”

Zaid hastened to add that he was not condoning what Najib allegedly did. “Corruption and abuse of power are unacceptable under any circumstances and using public funds for political use and for securing one’s leadership in a political party are criminal acts that must be punished.”

“How will Najib respond to the brewing mutiny against him?” asked Zaid.

The coming days will tell whether Najib’s money was enough for him to secure the loyalty and support of the very people who are the only ones who can overthrow him. “At this point in time, it’s anybody’s guess how many are still loyal to him,” said Zaid. “Let’s see how many of them remember his generosity because they say that rats always desert a sinking ship.”

Najib, he noted, naturally want the people who are beholden to him to remain loyal “now that he’s in trouble”.

Najib has two choices, according to the former Law Minister viz. start focusing on his mutinous troops or continue trying to tell the public that all the allegations against him are mere lies perpetrated by his enemies, the latter option being a waste of time. “He has two years to placate the public but perhaps just weeks to deal with his Umno colleagues.”

Najib may survive a bit longer, added Zaid, if he gets his priorities right, but the momentum to unseat him will be too strong for him to overcome if he loses focus. “It has been a hard day’s night for Najib.”