Najib’s presence not a sure-fire win for BN

KLANG: Former prime minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak is expected to make his larger-thanlife presence strongly felt during the entire campaign period.

Whether this will augur well for Barisan Nasional and help them win the battle for the state seat is as good as anyone’s guess.

But Najib’s ardent followers, who attributed the victory in the Cameron Highlands by-election to the former Umno president, believe he will play a pivotal role in defeating Pakatan Harapan in Semenyih.

While they believe Najib’s presence will bring about a positive impact, many experts think otherwise, saying that the underlying effect of him being there can be very destructive.

Merdeka Centre programme director Ibrahim Suffian reckons Najib’s presence will undoubtedly energise Barisan’s staunch supporters who still cannot come to terms with their crushing defeat in the last general election.

He said the die-hard Barisan supporters tend to create an impression that the coalition was bouncing back with the overwhelming support shown to Najib as this gives them a surge of confidence.

“But instead of creating a positive outcome, Najib’s presence could also become a major drawback for Barisan.

“Many people did not vote Barisan because of him, and there- fore if he is still the main showman, it looks as if the party hasn’t moved on,” said Ibrahim.

Institut Darul Ehsan deputy chairman Prof Datuk Dr Mohammad Redzuan Othman said that Najib was regarded as a liability by some Umno members.

“There is a division within Umno itself, with some seeing him as a liability.

“If there are more charges levelled against Najib, which will further question his credibility, within the next two weeks, it can adversely affect Umno’s support from the ground,” he said.

Umno deputy president Datuk Seri Mohamad Hasan said Najib was present at by-elections in his own capacity.

“He is there on his own platform and we welcome his efforts as well as the efforts of anyone who wants to contribute,” he had said.

Najib’s aide Datuk Rozilan Salleh strongly felt that his boss’ presence would make more Barisan supporters come out and vote.

“Going by the rise in his popularity on social media, his presence in Semenyih will in some way increase Barisan’s votes,” he said, brushing aside the contention that Najib’s presence would have a negative impact if he were slapped with more charges during the campaign period.

“He is not the candidate, thus there is no liability issue in regards to his cases,” he said.