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Opposition can’t admit success of Najib’s US visit, say analysts

The success of Najib Abdul Razak’s visit to Washington, which also witnessed a friendly meeting between the prime minister and the US President Donald Trump, seem hard to be accepted by opposition leaders who continue spreading lies about the government, according to political analysts.

They said although the meeting had a positive impact on the nation, opposition leaders were still trying to create a negative public perception on the prime minister’s visit.

Universiti Teknologi Malaysia (UTM) geostrategist Azmi Hassan said such a strategy was common among opposition leaders, especially during prime minister’s trip abroad.

“They criticise it as if the government is selling the country off. They used the same strategy before, especially when the prime minister announced Chinese investments, they said he had sold the country to China,” Azmi told Bernama.

During the meeting with Trump, Najib announced that the Employees Provident Fund (EPF) and Khazanah Nasional Bhd were planning to expand their investments in the United States and to purchase more Boeing jets to help strengthen the US economy.

Najib said the EPF alone was expected to invest between US$3 billion and US$4 billion.

However, several opposition leaders, including PKR vice-presidents Nurul Izzah Anwar and Rafizi Ramli, as well as Parti Pribumi Bersatu Malaysia deputy president Mukhriz Mahathir, used social media to criticise the outcome of the meeting between Najib and Trump.

Azmi said the prime minister’s announcement on the investments by the EPF and Khazanah in the US were indeed capable of generating revenue for the country and would benefit the people through high dividends.

“Among the business strategies of EPF and Khazanah is to invest overseas and to be able to do so in the US is indeed a good opportunity, not any company could have,” he said.

Meanwhile, political analyst Sivamurugan Pandian said the prime minister’s visit to the US also brushed off the negative perception of him, especially regarding the US Department of Justice (DOJ) and 1MDB issues.

“By going to the US, he (Najib) brushed off the perception that he wouldn’t dare to go there,” he said, adding that the visit had indeed benefited the prime minister in terms of moral legitimacy.

- Bernama

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