Najib’s Umno Is Looking Like A Bully — Malek Abdullah

The Malaysian Insider

The only group that should be held responsible if things get out of control on July 9 is Umno.

From day one, Umno and its sidekick Perkasa has been upping the ante, sketching the worst-case scenario while threatening and harassing Bersih activists.

I suppose what they say about seeing one’s true colours under pressure is true.

Datuk Seri Najib Razak is not looking or sounding like any reformer, Facebook or Twitter fan parties notwithstanding.

The Najib administration should remember this.

If it ups the ante it will ultimately be held responsible for any untoward outcome.

Perhaps he should look back at the history of the administration of Tun Abdullah Badawi and Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad.

A major security crackdown on the opposition with mass arrests in 1987 was followed by a poor performance by Barisan Nasional in the 1990 polls.

When people took to the streets in unprecedented numbers after Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim’s sacking and prosecution in 1998, Umno and Barisan Nasional (BN) received a bloody nose in the 1999 general elections.

The 1999 elections was Dr Mahathir’s last.

In 2004, with the economy on the upswing and Dr Mahathir retired, Abdullah scored BN’s best ever electoral result.

But by 2008, after bruising street battles between police and Hindraf protesters and Bersih demonstrators a year earlier, BN suffered its worst result.

That was Abdullah’s last election as PM.

So with rising prices shrinking the wallets of the public and rising dissent against the government, is it really such a good idea to take a hardline stance?

Najib’s Umno is coming across as a bully, with fighting words thrown daily at Bersih and its supporters.

And no one likes a bully.

Link to full article