My friend MP Manivanan (Kapar) sent me the link to this Malay Mail article.
Najib is wrong. This country does not need more loyal kaki bodek, it needs more smart people. Leaders that are threatened by smart people are not true leaders, they are politicians, looking after their personal vested interests.
The workable relationship between leaders and smart people is simple. Smart people do not necessarily mean only the academic crowd, but also experienced street smart doers and entrepreneurs.
Malaysia needs leaders that can appreciate and harness the best and most experienced smart people for ideas and policy inputs. In return, smart people need committed leaders that have the political will to carry out these policies fairly and transparently. This workable relationship then serves to help the rakyat and overall national interests.
What Najib is saying is complete nonsense and for the sake of the nation, I hope it is just a big joke. Throughout history, similar words about “loyalty” have been repeated by despots and dictators.
We Malaysians are not going to be loyal to a despot or dictator.