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©The Straits Times, Singapore (Used by permission)
by Chow Kum Hor, Malaysia Correspondent

Wave of criticism could be a bid to undermine the DPM's standing

KUALA LUMPUR - DEPUTY Prime Minister Najib Razak is coming under increasing attack, fuelling speculation that certain quarters are gunning for him.

He was largely spared the full force of anger among Umno members after the massive electoral losses suffered by the Malay-based party and the ruling coalition, the Barisan Nasional, in the March polls.

But his continued insistence on playing the role of loyal deputy to Prime Minister Abdullah Badawi has over the past two months attracted mounting criticism. And when, around the middle of last month, the Prime Minister named him as his successor, the criticism gained momentum.

Among those who have stepped up their attacks on Datuk Seri Najib are bloggers, the most prominent being Raja Petra Kamarudin. In an April 25 article, he implicated the Deputy Premier and his wife in a high-profile murder.

This created a buzz in cyberspace, forcing Datuk Seri Najib's office to write to Raja Petra to set the record straight - an unusual move for a government often suspicious of bloggers.

Then, earlier this week, opposition leader Wan Azizah Wan Ismail called for an investigation into the Defence Ministry's multi-million-ringgit purchase of military helicopters and submarines, alleging that the government had paid exorbitant commissions to politically linked companies in those deals. Datuk Seri Najib is also the Defence Minister.

Political analyst Ibrahim Suffian finds the timing of the attacks on the Deputy Prime Minister perplexing.

'I am not sure whether there is a concerted effort by some to undermine him,' Mr Ibrahim, who heads opinion poll research company Merdeka Centre, told The Straits Times.

The criticism, he said, may have something to do with Datuk Seri Najib's decision to continue backing the Prime Minister.

As the No. 2 man in the country and also in the dominant party Umno, Datuk Seri Najib is seen by many as the most viable candidate to replace Datuk Seri Abdullah when the party holds its internal polls in December.

Many have blamed Datuk Seri Abdullah for Barisan Nasional's dismal performance in the March 8 general election and want him out. But Datuk Seri Najib has chosen to stick by his boss.

Others who have attacked him for his stand include former premier Mahathir Mohamad, who called him a coward. Tun Dr Mahathir had until late last month backed Datuk Seri Najib to take on the country's No. 1 leader.

'All this negative publicity is not healthy for Najib,' Kedah Umno leader Ramli Yunus told The Straits Times.

'People will have a bad perception of somebody who may become the country's next prime minister.'

So far, Datuk Seri Najib has brushed off the allegations in Raja Petra's blog that he and his wife were involved in the murder of Mongolian interpreter Altantuya Shaariibuu. The blogger published the letter in full on his hugely popular website, Malaysia Today.

Datuk Seri Najib's wife Rosmah Mansor has also said that allegations about her involvement in the murder, circulated on the Internet, were not true.

Raja Petra, who has been charged with sedition over the article, was jailed after refusing to post bail. But he changed his mind yesterday and posted bail, citing safety fears.

The Deputy Prime Minister has also denied any impropriety in the purchase of military helicopters and submarines, saying that the deals had followed government procedures. His denial was carried on Page One of the Malay daily Utusan Malaysia.

Mr Ibrahim said Datuk Seri Najib had no choice but to set the record straight about the swirling allegations.

'He has to salvage his own reputation. If he doesn't do anything, it is as if he is acknowledging that the allegations are true,' he said.

A political watcher said: 'These attacks against the DPM just mean more trouble for Umno.'

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