Nur Jazlan: Najib should have foreseen BN’s collapse

(The Sun Daily) – Former premier Datuk Seri Najib Abdul Razak should have seen the collapse of Umno and Barisan Nasional (BN) coming and that there were issues with his leadership, said Datuk Nur Jazlan Mohamed.

The Umno Supreme Council member went as far as attributing BN’s shocking defeat in the 14th General Election (GE14) to Najib’s failure to address allegations of corruption made against him and issues related to 1Malaysia Development Berhad (1MDB).

Jazlan said as a senior leader with over 40 years of political experience under his belt, Najib ought to have noticed that Umno’s approval rating was beginning to diminish since the issue of 1MDB surfaced beginning 2014.

While Najib has yet to be charged for any offences, he has been linked to corruption allegations associated with the state investment arm.

“Don’t tell me he does not read social media like Facebook and Twitter, about issues touching on him and his family? Impossible.

“In politics, he, as the leader of a party, should have known that all these negative perceptions against him and the family would eventually cause Umno and BN’s defeat.

“We lost because of these perceptions, because they are all tied to him,” he told theSun in a phone interview yesterday.

He was responding to Najib’s claim that BN leaders should have spoken up earlier if they thought there was a problem with his leadership, after Umno Youth chief Khairy Jamaluddin suggested that Umno had become so detached from reality and thought it was invincible.

Nur Jazlan said Najib must be answerable to all the allegations made against him and his family during his tenure as the prime minister, as this would restore the party’s credibility.

“Before the elections, Umno’s fate has always depended on him. Now that we have lost, he has to answer to all the allegations hurled at him to restore Umno and BN’s credibility, if he believes they are untrue,” he said.

Nur Jazlan said many of the party members chose to remain quiet and not speak up previously due to the respect they had towards Najib as the son of former prime minister Tun Abdul Razak Hussein.

He added that prior to becoming Deputy Home Minister, he himself had voiced out his concerns towards the top leadership, but had to tone down after being appointed into the government administration.