Nazri: Najib warm, Dr M like stepfather
KUALA LUMPUR: Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad was like a “stepfather” to Umno members when he was in power, unlike Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak, who is “warm and approachable”.
Umno Supreme Council member Datuk Seri Mohamed Nazri Abdul Aziz said he believed the close rapport between Najib and party members made Dr Mahathir envious of the current Umno president.
“Dr Mahathir was feared, but Najib is loved and respected by all Umno members.
“If you talk about rapport, good communication and feeling like you are cared for, as a party member, you feel these with Najib, but never with Dr Mahathir.
“I’ll put it this way: Najib is like a father or a brother, but Dr Mahathir was like a stepfather because he was not a warm person.
“He didn’t make you feel like you’re part of brotherhood, or that you’re together,” he said in an interview recently.
Nazri said working under Dr Mahathir for several years was enough for him to understand the character of the country’s longest-serving prime minister.
He said Umno members did not forget Dr Mahathir’s contributions to the party and country, but they opposed him now because he went back on his words and promises.
“I’d be lying if I said he was an ineffective prime minister. He was in office for 22 years. Surely, he had done good things.
“But today, I can’t accord him the same respect because he reneged on all his words and promises.”
He said Najib was more approachable and open to different views, unlike Dr Mahathir, who was “not forthcoming”.
“I don’t know why, but that was how we all felt towards Dr Mahathir.
“But Najib is different. You can argue with him and put across your views. He will take them into consideration.”
On another issue, Nazri said Parti Pribumi Bersatu Malaysia’s (PPBM) failure to manage itself spelled doom for the party.
He said PPBM leaders’ lack of charisma was why it would end up in a “political cemetery”.
“When you form a new party, it is important to have a charismatic leader, like PKR, which is led by ( jailed opposition leader Datuk Seri) Anwar Ibrahim.”
PPBM was registered as a party in September last year, but has yet to hold an annual general meeting (AGM).
Party chairman Dr Mahathir recently said PPBM’s failure to hold an AGM was due to poor organisational structure, and that divisions and branches had yet to hold meetings at their levels.
Nazri said charismatic leaders played an important role in a newly formed party, and Dr Mahathir’s presence was “bad news” for PPBM.
“Dr Mahathir is someone who fights without a real cause. The same goes for the rest of the PPBM leadership.
“His son, (Datuk Seri) Mukhriz (Mahathir), and (Tan Sri) Muhyiddin Yassin are not charismatic leaders.
“To me, PPBM is a non-factor. It’s just a big hoo-ha.”