COMMENT | Who yearns for the dawn of another Najib era?

COMMENT | Former prime minister Najib Abdul Razak will most likely return to the political fray if he is found not guilty of the corruption and money-laundering charges linked to SRC International Bhd. Come the 15th general election, he may stake his claim again to the throne he left in disgrace in 2018.

Perhaps, Najib thinks if Dr Mahathir Mohamad could do it - becoming prime minister for the second time - he could also repeat the act. The strongest argument he could advance in his favour is that all the charges were politically motivated.

If he is freed, he would probably go on a nation-wide tour to explain his innocence followed by an all-out attack on all those he believes had engineered his downfall.

He would try to convince the electorate, especially the Malay vote-bank, that he has been a victim of a vicious campaign to discredit him but that God was on his side, and now he is ready to reclaim the mantle of a national leader.

Najib would make a pitch to the Malay heartland that he would champion race and religion and ensure that his second coming would bring back greater glory days for the indigenous people.

But the driving force in his comeback campaign would be fuelled by the fire of vengeance. If he wins, all his political foes, including Mahathir, would have reasons to fear retribution. After all, politics is dirty; it is the one weapon that can ruin a person when it is misused.

With Najib in the driver's seat again, the old familiar tactics would be used against his opponents: reopening old files on some alleged misdeeds committed in the misty past, digging up dirt on the person's personal background, constant harassment from the men in uniform, and the list of punishments goes on.

But the one person who might feel threatened by the re-emergence of Najib would be Prime Minister Muhyiddin Yassin. If Najib throws his hat into the ring, the ground would probably tremble under Muhyiddin.

The "comeback hero" could project himself as a more vibrant and intelligent leader who knows how to get the country back on its feet and be a respectable nation on the world stage.

With PAS in tow, Najib could present a formidable alternative to Muhyiddin who is generally seen as a dour leader of a weak minnow Bersatu. Unless Muhyiddin could pull out something more appealing from his own hat, he could potentially be buried under the Najib wave.

In the final analysis, Najib would have to face voters of all races if he is plotting to weave his way back into power. He would try very hard to win back the confidence and trust of the non-Malays in a charm offensive but the going would be very tough.

Najib was thrown out of office by angry voters who had had enough of 60 years of Umno rule. It is unlikely that they would embrace Najib again in the guise of a born-again politician with a clean slate.

What Malaysia needs is not more of the same but a new breed of leaders of high calibre, unquestionable integrity and impeccable academic credentials.

All these leaders must wholeheartedly be committed to upholding parliamentary democracy, which gives equal space to all citizens regardless of race and religion.

The Najib era has come and gone and it should not return to haunt Malaysia again. The dawn of a new Malaysia, after the 15th general election, must bring real changes. Malaysians are dead tired of false dawns.

PHLIP RODRIGUES is a retired journalist.

The views expressed here are those of the author/contributor and do not necessarily represent the views of Malaysiakini.

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