your say 'A PM is a head of the country who is expected to lead. A good leader is a person who shows courage in his convictions - without which his followers likewise may have their courage wavered.'

 

Najib coy on 'extremist' definition

Chipmunk: It is indeed sheer disappointment knowing very well that Perkasa is an extremist group which goes out of its way to fight the federal constitution but sadly we have a PM who does not have the guts to admit to that fact.

Dropping hints and later denying that he was referring to anyone in particular is a clear indication of a 'flip-flop' leader. What is right is right but if Najib continues to deny the very existence of an extremist group, then I am not sure what his appointment as the prime minister of Malaysia is all about.

If he doesn't have the guts, then he should step down and let the responsibility be taken by a man who will take responsibility, and at the same time be accountable to the rakyat. So Mr PM, show Dr Mahathir Mohamad that you mean business, and get rid of him and Perkasa for good.

Abil: A leader must have conviction and must stick to it through thick and thin to make sure that his plan is implemented. To take potshot at issues without any outright conviction is not the right approach. As a leader, please PM, lead us. We have given you the mandate to lead us to greater glory and prosperity.

Equinox: Name the extremists, Najib, and deal with them head on. No wishy-washy talk in a matter as important as building a credible 1Malaysia. If you want to leave a legacy you want your children to be proud of, like your dad did, you must be courageous.

There are extremists in your camp who do not love this country but pretend they do for as long as they can amass fortunes. But there are also those who love this country truly and agonise over the way things are going.

You must know by now that there are Malays, Chinese, Indians, KadazanDusuns and Ibans in this latter group. They will back you and support you all the way, but first you must prove yourself to be for all people and truly mean what you say about 1Malaysia. Otherwise, history will not spare you.

Ferdtan: We cannot have a wishy-washy prime minister. A PM is a head of the country who is expected to lead. A good leader is a person who shows courage in his convictions - without which his followers likewise may have their courage wavered.

Whether you are at work or in politics, policies passed down to the subordinates must be simple and unequivocal to avoid misinterpretations. Don't give hints here and there - just tell the nation what you really want to say and say it. Say it the way you want it said and damn your detractors, which unfortunately includes our ex-PM Dr Mahathir.

Kgen: If Najib can't put down Perkasa in clear and unequivocal terms, he is not fit to be the PM of all Malaysians. Where's the leadership when we need it? If you can't govern get out and let Pakatan Rakyat take over.

Multi Racial: The problem with Najib is he is non-committal. He wants the cake and eat it too. As you know, we can't have everything. Either you are against extremists or you are not. You can't say and practise otherwise. Perkasa is racist and so is Tun Mahathir. There is no two ways about it. Malaysians are not blind. Either you go against them or you support them. Don't go halfway as it is more damaging.

Kee Thuan Chye: Multi Racial is right - Najib is non-committal. That has been Najib's trademark. He has been fighting shy of calling a spade a spade, hesitant of going for this or the other. He hedges his bets. He waits to see how people will react before he acts. We've seen this with his explanations about 1Malaysia, his humming and hawing over what the NEM will be, his distancing from the recent Chua Soi Lek-Muhyiddin Yassin spat, his handling of the sports-betting issue.

I'm not sure if that is the mark of a leader. Perhaps he's been listening a lot to Idris Jala, who says a polarity is not the same as a problem because it cannot be solved but merely managed. By not admitting to referring to Perkasa as an ‘extremist' group, he is just treating the issue of Perkasa and what it is agitating for as a polarity. So no need to solve it, just manage it.

Don't say it is extremist. Be cool. It's not a problem. They're all right, Jack. Live and let live. That's the way to go. Let it be. Let it be.

Sabah My Home: The PM is too afraid of his opponents to dare name them. He jolly well knows the Malay right-wing organisations, notably Perkasa and Utusan Malaysia , are supported by some powerful people within his own party.

How is he going to implement his NEM (New Economic Model) agenda when he is afraid of taking them head on?

Curious Observer: It sounds like Perkasa, looks like Perkasa, but it isn't Perkasa...

Dr M pooh-poohs Najib's offshore ringgit trading plan

Paola: "This is Mahathir's latest criticism of Najib's administration, despite vowing not to meddle with government affairs after his retirement in 2002."

Mahathir Mohamad is a broken man. He sees himself as the uncrowned king of Malaysia. After all, ‘MM' stands for Minister Mentor and so he claims it as his birthright. No one took him seriously when he said he wouldn't meddle with government affairs except Abdullah Ahmad Badawi who didn't offer to appoint him as MM. For Mahathir to ask for the post would be demeaning to him and he would be seen as playing second fiddle to Lee Kuan Yew.

So that was why from day one, Mahathir attacked Abdullah relentlessly. Either Abdullah was too slow to recognise that and appease him by making him MM or he thought he could torture Mahathir by bruising his ego.

Najib wants to get out of Mahathir's shadow. Let's see if he's made of sterner stuff. Mahathir has forgotten that Malaysia's financial crisis was caused by an overheating economy.

Wira: TDM (Tun Dr Mahathir), our economy needs foreign expertise, business connection and market to expand. Yes, the foreigners may only bring in a fraction of the money but they also bring in the necessary market and expertise. FDIs also mean the inflow of foreign expertise as much as it means foreign direct investments.

Swipenter: Anything that goes against methods introduced by him is an affront to him even if they don't work anymore or at worst even impeding the country's progress and competitiveness.

People are tired of listening to him whining about everything that is wrong with the country without him realising that he is the root cause of all the problems confronting the country now.

Rolls-Royce: It is same old story over and over again as if Mahathir has done a great job. Hello, there is no need for you to keep trumpeting your currency control to contain the 1997/98 financial crisis. Countries not using your underhand tactic have also recovered and in fact, have restructured their economies better than Malaysia.

You talk so much about our currency being manipulated and depressed. Okay, let me ask you, why after more than 10 years our ringgit is still not able to reach the pre-crisis level of RM2.50 to US$1. The recent gain is nothing to shout about if we compared the historical value of ringgit with the US dollar or Singapore dollar.

The reality is that most speculators are no longer interested in currency speculation. They know most central banks are well-equipped in this area. But I am not telling you what the next speculative mania would be since you think you are so clever.

 

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