It is time that Prime Minister must show Malaysians that he does have and is ready to provide leadership required of him

Speech by M Kula Segaran  DAP National Vice Chairman and MP for Ipoh Barat at the Opening Ceremony of DAP Kg Baru Karak Service Centre at 5 pm on  July 13 , 2014

It is time that Prime Minister must show Malaysians that he does have and is ready to provide leadership required of him

In a few more hours, Germany will face Argentina in the 2014 World Cup final. Football fans all over the world wait in excitement to watch the game. 

After Germany crushed Brazil 7-1 in the semi final game, most people will believe that Germany has a better chance of beating Argentina but as people say the ball is round, sometimes you cannot accurately predict any result. After all, who would have thought that Brazil could have suffered such a humiliating loss at the semi final against Germany? 

Brazil’s loss was a devastating day for the nation’s football. It was perhaps the most shocking news of this year’s World Cup.

Equally shocking was how two Malaysians had commented on the Brazil’s loss.

We had first the BN MP for Kinabatangan Datuk Mokhtar Radin making the silly remark of Long Live Hitler. Anyway, it did not surprise me that it came from him as he has always been an empty vessel who likes to makes ridiculous and nonsensical remarks inside and outside the Parliament. 

Sometimes I wonder why Umno continued to field him in general election. Is he so indispensable to Umno? 

The second politician who made shocking remarks was none other than our Prime Minister Datuk Najib who said that absence of leadership will lead to disaster for Malaysia, using the World Cup semi-finals as an analogy.

Bernama reported him as saying that Brazil's loss to Germany could be attributed to its lack of leadership in keeping its backline together.

"When I watched Brazil, their defence was all over the place. I put it down to lack of leadership. There was no proper leadership," he was quoted as saying. "If that could happen to a football team, imagine what would happen to a country that does not have effective leadership... the answer is, we will end up like Brazil”, he said. 

Leadership is certainly important but was not Najib aware that he has been so much and often criticised for his of lack of leadership in governing the country since the last general election?

He had remained silent and showed zero leadership on many occasions when Malaysians expected him to speak up.

When there was a bible seizure incident early this year in contravention of the Cabinet’s 10 point solution, he chose to be silent. 

When the extremist groups made provocative remarks and carried out acts aimed at stoking racial tension, Najib who talks so much about concept of moderation again remained silent. 

When his Home Minister made half past six remarks that cash for slap threat against MP for Seputeh Teresa Kok was not a threat, he also kept quiet.

Then when the Inspector General of Police refused to act on the court order to arrest the convert husband Ridzuan in the custody battle involving Indira Gandhi and her husband, Najib did not tell the IGP off.

There are many more examples I can cite but it suffices to conclude that Najib has set Malaysia on auto pilot without any leadership since the last general election. That is why his analysis of why Brazil lost –absence of leadership – has made him the butt of internet joke. 

The nation cannot go on without leadership from the Prime Minister. It is time that Prime Minister must show Malaysians that he does have and is ready to provide leadership required of him.