Barry Wain, who in 2010 raised red flags at the Home Ministry with his book 'Malaysian Maverick: Mahathir Mohamad in Turbulent Times', has described Prime Minister Najib Abdul Razak reformer image as a selective one.
The journalist and author, while acknowledging that the current premier had given more substance to his reform agenda compared with his predecessor Abdullah Ahmad Badawi, he had only instituted changes where the government's position was not endangered, he said.
"Recognising his personal and political limits, Najib has become what I call a tactical or selective reformer, a less charitable description might be an opportunistic reformer," said the Australian, who has lived in Asia for nearly 40 years.
"Skirting some of the areas most in need of reform, he is hoping he can make enough changes around the edges of certain policies, package them attractively and sell them to Malaysia to arrest Umno's slide," Wain told some 30 members of the Foreign Correspondence Club Malaysia (FCCM) at a talk in Kuala Lumpur last night.
'Umno insider no natural reformer'
Despite the recent flurry of legislative reforms, it appeared evident that no attempt has been made to arrest institutional degradation of the police force and judiciary, said Wain, now attached to Singapore's Institute of Southeast Asian Studies in Singapore.
Among examples he cited was the lack of accountability in the death of Teoh Beng Hock, the conviction of two police officers without known motive for the murder of Mongolia Altantuya Sharibuu and Opposition Leader Anwar Ibrahim's second sodomy trial.
"No serious analyst in Malaysia or abroad would believe that Anwar's prosecution and trial was free of political influence," said the keen observer of Malaysian politics.
The premier, Wain (left) added, had not signalled intention to reform the internal mechanics of Umno where corruption was most endemic and his proposed reforms to political financing was likely to circumvent money politics within Umno.
"Should Najib attempt to seriously curb the flow of patronage within the ruling party, he would probably follow Abdullah out the door," he said.
Before the Najib's reform push to soften the government's image, his involvement in the the Perak coup had not not helped his reputation as a natural reformist, he added.
"Throughout Najib's career, he has been cautious and pragmatic, he has never questioned Malaysia's ethnic-based political system nor has he proposed significant innovation, not even during his direct ministerial responsibilities.
"It is difficult to define what he stands for... Najib is not only part of the system, one of his closest associates said, he trusts the system, he is the system," said Wain.
On the economic reform front, he said, there also appeared to be an absent of genuine change.
"I remember the first time he announced the New Economic Model and said we'll have a world-class education system, you know education in Malaysia is a mess, if you got the right policies it would probably take years if not generations to bring about change.
"Yes, he articulates it, it's true we need a world-class education system but there is no follow-up action, sometimes it's just like once he has said it he pretends it is done.
"With any politicians, one must watch what they do and not just what they say, and this is more true with Najib as there is a big gap between what he says and what they have", he added.
Umno's salvation, losing power
Wain added that he had spoken to people who Najib had consulted at the World Bank and they were convinced that the premier was capable of understanding the nation's problems.
"But he is not instinctively bold or audacious nor does he have strong support from the party to make those reforms," he said.
The truly outstanding leaders such as former deputy prime ministers Musa Hitam and Anwar Ibrahim and former finance minister Tengku Razaliegh Hamzah, Wain said, had long been ousted by former premier Dr Mahathir Mohamad (left) during his 22-year reign.
"Mahathir failed to provide future leadership for Malaysia... his long tenure also blocked the ascendency of others with leadership potential.
"The most capable people Mahathir got rid off and the people who are left are simply just second or third rung," he said.
Umno in its current form, he added, was unable to reform while it remained in the cusp of power.
"I don't believe Umno will reform itself, I think the best way for Umno is to be defeated and become the opposition and then go and do some serious reform and find new leadership."
Mahathir, Wain said, completed Umno's transition from a humble self-sacrificing party of peasants and schoolteachers to a party of self-serving corporate chieftain and dealmakers.
Even after the longest serving premier handed over power, his legacy lingered on as he had engineered both Abdullah and Najib's premiership.
"The country has been run for more than eight years by fairly weak men put there by Mahathir," he said.
The journalist and author, while acknowledging that the current premier had given more substance to his reform agenda compared with his predecessor Abdullah Ahmad Badawi, he had only instituted changes where the government's position was not endangered, he said.
"Recognising his personal and political limits, Najib has become what I call a tactical or selective reformer, a less charitable description might be an opportunistic reformer," said the Australian, who has lived in Asia for nearly 40 years."Skirting some of the areas most in need of reform, he is hoping he can make enough changes around the edges of certain policies, package them attractively and sell them to Malaysia to arrest Umno's slide," Wain told some 30 members of the Foreign Correspondence Club Malaysia (FCCM) at a talk in Kuala Lumpur last night.
'Umno insider no natural reformer'
Despite the recent flurry of legislative reforms, it appeared evident that no attempt has been made to arrest institutional degradation of the police force and judiciary, said Wain, now attached to Singapore's Institute of Southeast Asian Studies in Singapore.
Among examples he cited was the lack of accountability in the death of Teoh Beng Hock, the conviction of two police officers without known motive for the murder of Mongolia Altantuya Sharibuu and Opposition Leader Anwar Ibrahim's second sodomy trial.
"No serious analyst in Malaysia or abroad would believe that Anwar's prosecution and trial was free of political influence," said the keen observer of Malaysian politics.The premier, Wain (left) added, had not signalled intention to reform the internal mechanics of Umno where corruption was most endemic and his proposed reforms to political financing was likely to circumvent money politics within Umno.
"Should Najib attempt to seriously curb the flow of patronage within the ruling party, he would probably follow Abdullah out the door," he said.
Before the Najib's reform push to soften the government's image, his involvement in the the Perak coup had not not helped his reputation as a natural reformist, he added.
"Throughout Najib's career, he has been cautious and pragmatic, he has never questioned Malaysia's ethnic-based political system nor has he proposed significant innovation, not even during his direct ministerial responsibilities.
"It is difficult to define what he stands for... Najib is not only part of the system, one of his closest associates said, he trusts the system, he is the system," said Wain.
On the economic reform front, he said, there also appeared to be an absent of genuine change."I remember the first time he announced the New Economic Model and said we'll have a world-class education system, you know education in Malaysia is a mess, if you got the right policies it would probably take years if not generations to bring about change.
"Yes, he articulates it, it's true we need a world-class education system but there is no follow-up action, sometimes it's just like once he has said it he pretends it is done.
"With any politicians, one must watch what they do and not just what they say, and this is more true with Najib as there is a big gap between what he says and what they have", he added.
Umno's salvation, losing power
Wain added that he had spoken to people who Najib had consulted at the World Bank and they were convinced that the premier was capable of understanding the nation's problems.
"But he is not instinctively bold or audacious nor does he have strong support from the party to make those reforms," he said.
The truly outstanding leaders such as former deputy prime ministers Musa Hitam and Anwar Ibrahim and former finance minister Tengku Razaliegh Hamzah, Wain said, had long been ousted by former premier Dr Mahathir Mohamad (left) during his 22-year reign."Mahathir failed to provide future leadership for Malaysia... his long tenure also blocked the ascendency of others with leadership potential.
"The most capable people Mahathir got rid off and the people who are left are simply just second or third rung," he said.
Umno in its current form, he added, was unable to reform while it remained in the cusp of power.
"I don't believe Umno will reform itself, I think the best way for Umno is to be defeated and become the opposition and then go and do some serious reform and find new leadership."Mahathir, Wain said, completed Umno's transition from a humble self-sacrificing party of peasants and schoolteachers to a party of self-serving corporate chieftain and dealmakers.
Even after the longest serving premier handed over power, his legacy lingered on as he had engineered both Abdullah and Najib's premiership.
"The country has been run for more than eight years by fairly weak men put there by Mahathir," he said.
IamMsian Just hope majority of our fellow Malaysians have the opportunity to read what Mr.Wain has said, and make the correct decision on GE13. After 54 years, a change cannot be any worst.
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JomUbahUbah As all the people and the students know that our Mr. Flip Flop's words and transformation can never never be trusted. All his transformations are merely cosmetic and beneficial ony to his corrupt BN gorvenment and not for the people's future.
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Anonymous_3f68 Najib is more of an annihilator than reformer as he is never genuine in whatever he does or preaches. He is more of an opportunist only to stay alive amongst the Malays so that he can get his lease extended through the coming polls to continue on with more destruction and finally eliminate the non malays from his equation through his clowns of PERKOSA , PEKUDA and now JATI. This PM is a spineless, shameful SOB who cares the least about anyone's welfare other than usurping large quantities of wealth through clandestine means.
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Anonymous #12566075 What Wain said are definitely correct: Mahathir had transformed UMNO from a humble peasants and school teacher based party into a corporate chieftan and deal-maker dominated party. They are only interested to enrich themselves. Najib is not serious in formation the party. Whatever he had said are purely window-dressing to win votes in coming GE. Even he is sincere (which is not the case) in reforming, he would be toppled by the party chieftains. So what all these means to Malaysians? UBAH is the only way out. Vote BN out and let PR to reform. Give PR a chance to prove themselves.
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Anonymous #76965586 Put yourself in najib's shoes, if he does reform as rakyat wanted, he will immediately be kicked out by his teams. Why they want to join politics at the very first moment ? The answer is wealth, unlimited wealth from corruption. If any leader dares to stop this, he will be out. Besides, he is also after wealth. To reform and stop corruption, what is the point to join politics ? If you understand above, you will understand why reform is so difficult in malaysia ?
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trueglitter Mr Barry Wain, whilst we agree with your insightful analysis of PM Najib being an 'opportunistic reformer' and has made 'no attempt to arrest institutional degradation of the police force and judiciary' we are nonetheless disappointed by your lack of courage to go the full distance of your disclosure by emphatically articulating that Najib is too weighed down with surplus baggage and politically and personally tainted to be an effective and audacious reformer. As a political survivor, Najib is wary of the fact that his own tainted self disallowed him the luxury to be an effective reformer realizing full well his efforts may cause his political demise when the targeted disgruntled cronies are ever capable of spilling the beans on him. Case in point is the widely publicized misappropriation of funds involving Shahrizat's husband and her family members in relation to the 'cowgate' debacle when Najib has lifted not a finger to express his disapproval or condemnations.
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Boon Hor LOY Mr Wain, wat u said is fairly true. Wat the umnoputras need to do is to loose the GE13 and become opposition. Its from there they will finally learn how to govern the country effectively compared to now. The best check and balance is for BN to become d opppsition cos when this happen, corruption might be at the lowest level. Like d chinese saying goes, the most corrupt official can be the best policeman!! V R waiting for this to happen. And V suspect it gonna be soon..
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Way Forward MR.WAIN, GREAT & SPOT ON!!!! PLS. VISIT http://www.malaysiakini.com/news/195535 & http://www.malaysia-today.net/mtcolumns/special-reports/48797-amendments-to-election-offences-act PLS GO THROUGH THOSE ARTICLES & PLS. ALSO WATCH THE VIDEO TO GIVE YOU A BETTER UNDERSTANDING OF HOW THE PRESENT MALAYSIAN GOVERNMENT WANTED TO HOLD ONTO POWER IN THIS COMING 13TH MALAYSIAN GENERAL ELECTION, GE13 - AT ALL COST!!!!! SO, WHAT IS YOUR OPPINION ON THIS AND PLS, PLS & PLS, MR. WAIN, HOW CAN YOU HELP TO BRING OUR PLIGHT TO THE ATTENTION OF THE WHOLE WIDE WORLD - HOPEFULLY YOUR GOVERNMENT OR OTHER GOVERNMENT OR NGOS CAN PRESSURE THE PRESENT MALAYSIAN GOVERNMENT TO REVOKE OR NULLIFY THIS BILL!!!! SHARE TO THW WORLD'S JOURNALISM TO HELP RAISE OUR PLIGHT!!!! THANK YOU, SIR!!!!
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Loyal Malaysian "...the people who are left are simply just second or third rung,.."-yes, thanks to that uncrowned king who refuses to die, our nation is ruled by these self-serving leaders who have no sense of what is clean,accountable and transparent governance!! "Opportunistic reformer" is already a very charitable description, Mr Wain. Other than making of right noises initially, Najib has not made any reforms of substance. Yes, he has pull the wool over many a rakyat eyes by using the country's resources to lull the rakyat to view the UMNOputra favorably!! But, reforms? Forget it!!
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Anonymous_40f4 Najib is a pretender and he is just playing for votes in the coming GE.Notice Rosmah,Ibrahim Ali etc have been told not to make racist statements or go shopping in australia at least until the GE.After GE najib will go to rip the rakyats pockets to recoup money for his cronies.EPF,PETRONAS have been raped and sodomised and their accounts are in a mess.
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Anonymous_4030 Oh c'mon Wain. What about Anwar? Isn't he an opportunist as well? Probably the worst.
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ah gu, ah beh not only no back bone but hen pecked as well. like a puppet on a string.
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A VOTER Pm Najib has 1 very major weakness:He dare not stand firm against ultra-extremist like IbrahimAli and others extremist...
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Onyourtoes Now you are talking. But do you know why this regime is incapable of reform? It is not just a leadership issue. I think this country is ready to accept changes. I think most politicians, including those within UMNO, also want to see the country transformed. This is not happening because most of our top leaders are too tainted. Any change will boomerang right into their face. That is why the change was peripheral, just enough (hopefully) to placate the clamour for change. I think the people have seen enough nonsense and abuse since Mahathir's time. It is time.
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lim chong leong What reform? There has only been window dressing and lip-service. All talk of reform remains only as that, talk as in shouting and screaming slogans. The Economic Transformation Program has transformed nothing. The quotas remains and the system of political patronage and rent-seeking Umno way remains the main stay of how business is distributed amongst themselves. Education transformation? Zilch. Welfare and healthcare? zilch. ISA repeal? It is just a change of words and giving more power to the police. So it actually became worse. Prevention of Assembly bill is exactly what it should have been named. PPPA again is only "baby steps" to appear he is generous when in fact he is not. Najib should in fact never be mentioned in the same breath as reform.
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Swipenter Umno is a victim of its own (Mahathir's) success. Grown too arrogant, self serving, racist and corrupted for its own good and unfortunately for our country too.
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