Wednesday, September 17, 2008

Breaking news! Najib is Finance Minister


Najib Tun Razak has been named Finance Minister with immediate effect. The appointment is part of the transition plan to provide more responsibilities for Najib. He is already the chairman of the Ni nth Malaysia Plan council. He will represent Abdullah Ahmad Badawi at the United Nations general assembly next week. Pak Lah will take over the Defence Ministry now held by Najib.The message from Pak Lah is that Najib is being geared to take over as PM. The two - Pak Lah and Najib - are also expected to make public appearances together to quash rumours of a challenge from Najib for the top party post. At a just concluded press conference, PM said he and Najib were committed to the 2010 transition of power. The PM also said he could also pass the baton to Najib even earlier than 2010. But the main point is that Pak Lah will defend his Umno presidency and Najib, the deputy post. The two leaders had met over the last few days, where he told his deputy that he wanted to reform the judiciary and police before he left.

18 comments:

Unknown said...

Dear Wong,

May God's will be done.

Anonymous said...

What can Rakyat get from this switch? Release Teresa and RPK from the evil ISA and lower fuel prices and other essential goods, then we might think again about things in this country that has gone berserk!

Anonymous said...

Datuk,

Please keep us informed via your blog as we don't trust the mainstream medias will update theirs so soon. Many ppl are worried. Thanks.

Unknown said...

Pak Lah is more cunning than we give him credit for..taking over the Defence Ministry at a time like this..well, well, well..next thing you know.....

BareSheen said...

What's the point of these charades?

Who cares? Ordinary folks do not give a #@**

What's more important is - where and what's the vision of UMNO and BN for Malaysia for say, the next 1year, 2 years, 5 years, 20 years??

Nothing.

All we see is more of the same repulsive dross passing off as government policies.

These folks are nothing now but nude emperors of sagging pectorals and glutes. Past their prime, hideous and laughable.

Sad.

Vesu said...

we also need to get rid of the 2nd finance minister - so called expert was called to bail out our economy but seems not that effective. by the way Najib is posed to be the shortest serving finance minister in history... publish this la bro .

Anonymous said...

Another bad step by Badawi.
Najib in charge of he nation's finance? Sick!
And Badawi in control of the army? Is this in preparation for an emergency rule? Whatever it is, the swap looks bad for the rakyat.

amoker said...

Haha. What a joke. And Najib can help us with the economy? His crusade against illegal immigrants are getting nowhere. He championed the lost of Permatang Pauh. His own Ahmad Ismail spit on his apology. Sure...

Anonymous said...

So many incompetent ministers in the cabinet. Incompetent ministers swapping portfolios will not make things any better. The country is getting sicker.

Anonymous said...

Dear Datuk,

I hope the 2 jokers know what they are doing and if they are acting in sincerity.

From my layman's viewpoint there is not much changes to be expected with the swap in portfolio.

I just wonder if they are short of ideas to make Malaysia a better place. Sigh.......

Unimpressed!

Anonymous said...

I think some university professors must give some instance courses to our New Finance Minister.

Ah Beng Crosby said...

Our country's economy is going to be blown to pieces.

Anonymous said...

This switch may not be as straight forward as what a lot of people thinks.

It's a strategic move. Burdening Najib with this portfolio during an economic crisis will surely keep Najib very busy and he will not have the time to make his move for the number one post anytime shorter than what has been agreed upon.

By taking the Defence post, he (Pak Lah) is now in the best position to fight any attempt of overthrowing the present govt by DSAI.

PR's next move is super crucial. Let's hope DSAI can counter this major move with his own in the next two weeks or so.

I trust my gut instincts that something is brewing at both ends of the camp.

We'll just have to wait and see....

romerz said...

916 + 1 + A day of Change.

http://romerz.blogspot.com/2008/09/916-1-day-of-change.html

Anonymous said...

Does this increase our confidence level? Hmmmm....NO. What we do not need anymore are ad-hoc decisions, especially decisions that are not thoroughly thought through strategically and tactically. This is too reactive & knee-jerked response for anyone's good and thus increases our apprehension that there is a dearth of intelligent broad thinking over the fate of our country. Where is the big picture and sense of perspective as to where we are headed and then details on how plans will be executed, regardless of any obstacles? This is not over yet....

YY Ong LTR! said...

Pak lah's decison will let people think that he is having a huge agenda...against who? DSAI?

Again, What's the difference if DS Najib becomes the Finance Minister? Does that change anything?

Robert Teh said...

Chun Wai,

KLCI plinged 38 points as at 1.15 pm this afternoon - I think, in reaction to the swapping of portfolios between our two incompetent leaders!

Anonymous said...

Know the Difference: Transition, not Handover.
For the moment, the UMNO leadership crisis appears to have been averted with the announcement of the cabinet portfolio swap between Prime Minister Dato’ Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi and his Deputy Dato’ Seri Najib Tun Razak. As recently as last week, analysts and commentators were anticipating Najib to make a move on the Presidency before the year’s end. And why would they not? After UMNO Vice President Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin rekindled the debate about Abdullah’s position, Najib appeared to position himself for an assault on the post when he remarked that the divisions should decide for themselves when the transition should occur – essentially informing that he was more than ready to receive nominations for the post of Party President.

But with the portfolio swap, Najib may not see a need to gun for the Presidency – and by implication Premiership of the country – so soon. Notwithstanding the fact that a transition of power is, as Abdullah quipped, a process and not something carried out overnight, Abdullah must be credited for such a bold move. Skeptics have characterised it as a calculated political decision to neutralise any potential threat from Najib. Political considerations there definitely were, but by paving the way for Najib to take helm of the Ministry of Finance, Abdullah has also demonstrated magnanimity and sincerity to groom his successor for the top job in 2010.

Being Prime Minister with little experience in managing the country’s economy will likely prove a mammoth task for anyone. And as it turns out, Najib is no ordinary figure with an ordinary past. With ample ammunition for the Opposition to take aim at his credibility – the SAS (Sukoi, Altantunya, Submarine) scandals spring to mind as illustrations – a Najib administration could use a head-start in spearheading economic recovery at a time when global financial uncertainty is affecting countries in this region, too.. It is further also to Najib’s convenience that the Budget for the year 2009 has just been announced with much of the implementation left for him to oversee. As such, Najib does not have the baggage of others’ inefficiency to contend with – a prevalent concern whenever an economic plan is carried out.

As things, at least for the time being, cool down with regards to any contest for the Presidency of UMNO, it would be interesting to see Tun Dr.. Mahathir’s next move. Commanding a yet formidable following, his end-game for quite a while now is to unseat Abdullah as Prime Minister. His peculiar friendships with Tengku Razaleigh, Muhyiddin and Najib are telling – those individuals are all nothing more than instruments to his ultimate goal: the downfall of Abdullah.

Ultimately, Abdullah’s supporters will hope that the PM’s move will be repaid with loyalty by Najib. Even to many who may not be Abdullah’s biggest fans are wary of the damage that an open contest will cause the party. Even they would gladly take two more years of Abdullah over the prospect of an internal split that will likely occur should we witness a repeat of the embarrassment suffered by the late Tun Ghafar Baba at the hands of a ruthless Machiavellian by the name of Anwar Ibrahim.