Najib’s Speech to iInternational iInvestors Delusional

The delegates of the 13th Invest Malaysia Conference were confronted with a heavily loaded political speech by Najib aimed at misleading investors into believing that all is well with the Malaysian economy. Though the audience were potential foreign investors from around the world and international media, it was clear he was making his war cry to his party faithfuls as well as the fence sitting professionals and middle class of the Malaysian electorate. It may have been an attempt to clear his already rotten name on an international stage but, his speech sounded more like an UMNO general assembly closing speech more than anything else. All he succeeded in communicating through his 97 paragraphs, was his insecurity and fear over his own grip on power. Instead of taking the opportunity to showcase what the country had to offer, he chose to attack the opposition. Almost half his speech was dedicated to scathing attacks on opposition parties -with a specific focus on DAP, which was mentioned thrice- and one nonagenarian predecessor of his. In his ill advised employment of ‘offence is the best defense’, Najib even tried to present a rosey 7 year report card on his New Economic Model, by anchoring it on the establishment of 1MDB and it’s TRX project now under way. How convenient that he fails to mention the US DOJ seizure of billions worth of stolen assets and the several criminal cases in several countries linking directly to 1MDB transactions, that are also underway. 1MDB's reputation no longer need any introduction- especially among international journalists, market pundits and potential investors who follow Malaysian news. His attempt at reframing the 1MDB scandal as nothing more than an opposition tool to attack him, simply shows how out of touch he and his advisors are from the ground; or he may simply be delusional. What was even more sickening was the way he reeled off international rankings and figures that were either misleading, or simply detached from the economic realities on the ground. Since he chose to omit some of the rankings that has brought shame to Malaysia as a result of his party’s ideology of hate and his kleptocratic administration, here’s just a few for your perusal. • According to Transparency International, 59% of Malaysians believe that corruption has increased in the country in 2017, 23% of the population have admitted to resorting to bribery. This age old cancer that has plagued our nation is only getting worse under the current regime. • 31.16% of Orang Asli in the Peninsula still live below the poverty line according to a 2014 report by UN Human Rights Index; That's 1 in every 3 Orang Asli. The situation in Sabah and Sarawak could be worse as National statistics and household surveys do not provide disaggregated data on the poverty and food insecurity situation of indigenous communities in Sabah and Sarawak. • According to Reporters without Borders, in 2017 Malaysia ranks 144th in Press Freedom, just one place ahead of South Sudan where there were recently reported incidents of ethnic cleansing, and North Korea at 180th place. • 140th in the Foundation for the Advancement of Liberty, 2016 Moral Freedom index. Malaysia is followed by Syria, Somalia, and Libya; when Israel which is world renowned for oppression and persecution according to religion is only at 82. • According to the World Economic Forum, 2017 Inclusive Development Index for developing economies, Malaysia’s wealth Gini indicates that “inequality is of some concern and the high debt-to-GDP ratio indicates that the country could be putting future prosperity at risk”. • According to the International Labour Organisation (ILO) 2016 report, 36.8% of the workforce (2014) remain in poverty despite being formally employed. Only 19.8% of Malaysians above pensionable age, receive pensions, and only 21.8% of the total adult population have tertiary education. One in three Malaysian workers work to stay poor, 4 out of 5 pensioners receive no pension and 4 out of 5 adults in Malaysia have not received tertiary education. It is understandable to want to present a positive picture of Malaysia to investors, but to whitewash the harsh realities faced by Malaysians with half truths is simply immoral. What more, it was delivered to an audience not easily duped by political rhetoric, whilst character assassinating individuals and taking political potshots at an opponent party to international guests is non-sensical. He also mentioned that inflation and unemployment have been kept low. He is either delusional or lives in a different Malaysia as majority of Malaysians do. Department of Statistics itself have reported that in March 2017 inflation was at the highest in the last 9 years. Ask any ordinary Malaysian and even he or she can tell you the cost of living has shot up tremendously, as a result of GST and the government's mismanagement of the economy. Najib also shamelessly cited Bloomberg as saying the Ringgit is “easily the strongest major Asian currency this quarter, climbing twice as much as the next best, the Chinese yuan.” However, he failed to mention that the MYR dropped to record low of 4.4995 in Jan 2017 from 3.1420 to a dollar in Aug 2014. It is like praising a bankrupt for his fast return to poverty. Misdirections, lies and more lies; and when he no longer has anything else to lie about, he chooses to throw more fabricated stories to character assassinate opposition leaders instead. This is an undeniable sign of a desperado fighting for his political survival. It is quite clear that our nation is led by a pack of liars, haters and thieves, with an authoritarian master Kleptocrat at the helm. The seemingly undefeatable ruling regime has robbed us blindly for the past 60 years, and their appetite has only grown stronger. However, it is now known, the same pack of crooks are mired in internal conflict and disarray. The tone, the content, the timing and it’s dissonance with the audience of Najib’s speech was a clear sign that election is near. This election is no longer about BN vs Harapan. It is about snatching back the possibilities of a better tomorrow from those who wants this country all to themselves; It is about the people versus a kleptocracy; it is about Malaysians trying to take back our country from a irreversibly corrupt ruling class.