'I am sure no country in the world ever had a missing leader on their independence day. Malaysia always has a first on all the wrong things.'

Najib's speech inspirational, say students in Perth

Pemerhati : PM Najib Razak and his cohorts are trying to do damage control yet again. When Najib was implicated in the Altantuya Shaariibuu episode, he swore on the Quran to try and convince the public of his innocence.

When Najib was caught lying about his meeting with Mohd Saiful Bukhari Azlan, he gave a stupid excuse that the college drop-out went to see him about a scholarship.

When the Customs documents allegedly showed that Rosmah had received a diamond ring from the United States costing a whopping US$24 million, Najib's people came up with all sorts of pathetic cock and bull stories.

Now after being caught leaving the country secretly on a private holiday to Perth on a government jet at the taxpayer's expense, the reason given is, "Najib was in Perth during the holiday break to receive specialist physiotherapy for his recently-operated knee."

Physiotherapy procedures are pretty simple and straight forward and can be easily done in Malaysia. This is another pathetic and silly excuse to cover up for Najib's holiday at the taxpayer's expense.

Gerard Samuel Vijayan: This is another bit of government propaganda. Do we really expect our students who are mostly on government or GLC (government-linked company) scholarships to say anything to the contrary, especially when the MSD (Malaysian Students Department) and SB (Special Branch) officials are watching them?

The PM is full of inspiration and ideas but very poor on delivery and implementation. There is nothing but bland rhetoric from the PM.

He excels in this but he cannot convince the Umno hardliners and warlords who want him to push a more Malay-centric and nationalistic agenda to the exclusion of other races and religions simply to disguise the reality that Umno and the NEP has failed the vast majority of the ordinary and poor Malays who remain marginalised and neglected.

David Dass: Najib should walk the talk. If he really believes in 1Malaysia, he should take firm steps to include non-Malays in every aspect of administration in the country.

His father made Commodore K Thanabalasingam chief of our navy because he was the best man for the job. Identify the best among the non-Malays. make them ambassadors, directors of GLCs, heads of government departments, senior officers in the police force and the armed forces.

Let non-Malays feel part of things - do not just demand their loyalty. The Sarawak Rangers were widely respected soldiers. And they were neutral in a riot-torn atmosphere. Where are they now?

The vision of Malaysia is not just about high incomes. It is about poverty, inequality, exclusion, polarisation, inefficiency, leakages, corruption, and widespread feelings of unfairness and injustice.

There is a lot to be done. All Malaysians should be harnessed to jointly undertake the tasks. It should be one for all and all for one.

Playfair: If the holiday trip was for "physiotherapy" for his injured knee, why was it reported that his aircraft left from Changi Airport, which is in Singapore?

Does one smell a rat in the whole episode and the very contradictory statements from the so-called official sources?

Victor Johan: Another project by the government of Umno-BN though its national news agency, Bernama .

Bernama printed some feedback from the Malaysian students in Perth. Just how many students 'attended' this special 'unannounced' gathering? We need the whole truth and nothing but the truth. No hoodwink please, we are new generation Malaysians.

Ghkok: I'm really proud of myself. Before even reaching the end of the first sentence, I already know that it's a Bernama article.

I scrolled down to the bottom and sure enough, caught the culprit! Pure and unadulterated government propaganda.

Najib spent Hari Raya/National Day in Perth so that he can work on his knee? Come on lah ...

RAW: As I was reading this article, I thought it could not have been written by a Malaysiakini reporter. Or was I dreaming? I knew I was not when I reached the last line - Bernama .

Kumara: This report says a lot about the quality of our students studying in Australia's Curtin University.

Who pays for PM's 1M'sia flight to Australia?

P.B.Win: Leadership by example - if the top leader uses public funds for his holiday with his family, imagine what all other ministers, deputy ministers, government office heads, government servants, clerks and even office boys will do.

Somehow they will find a way to bill the government for their holiday with their family as well. This has been proven many times. I feel sick to know that my tax money is being spent by some idiot in the government department for their personal reason, other than for the benefit of this country.

Who do you think can put a stop to this practice? The answer is all of us. Vote for change. Let Malaysia prosper and let the rakyat prosper with it. If we are to tighten our belts it should start from our leaders.

Bil: On such an auspicious day - the National Day - of the country, the leader of the country was not present to grace the occasion and inspired the people. What kind of leader is this?

I am sure no country in the world ever had a missing leader on their independence day. Malaysia always has a first on all the wrong things.

Onyourtoes: Never mind, he will say it again - I came back early just to be with the rakyat and also to receive TV cameraman Noramfaizul Mohd Nor, who sacrificed himself to run an errand for Putera 1Malaysia.

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