It is no longer any secret Prime Minister Najib Razak is in dire straits. He, his administration and UMNO party have been caught in lie after lie but they don't seem to have any intention to stop or it has become such an ingranied habit, they are no longer able to do so.
"They have become pathological liars - no cure," PKR MP for Gopeng Lee Boon Chye, a prominent doctor, told Malaysia Chronicle.
The latest incident involved Najib, who was caught sneaking out of the country for a quickie break in Perth Australia on Malaysia's National Day on August 31.
The PM did not make any announcement as he is required by protocol to do so but sadly for him, his plane - a Malaysian government jet - was spotted landing in the Australian airport.
From FBC Media to Bernama to the rescue
Amid calls for him to come clean on the matter and queries if he was again abusing public money and facilities to go personal holidays, national news agency Bernama did some fancy public relations work for him.
On Sunday, Bernama claimed Najib had gone to perth to spend Hari Raya with the Malaysian students there. This took place on Saturday while Raya had been on Tuesday and National Day - the day he snucked out on Wednseday.
Matters worsened, when a stubborn Bernama followed through with another report claiming the students in Perth had found Najib's speech 'inspirational'.
"It was awesome to hear our prime minister speak, and he was impressive," Bernama reported Curtin university student Lim Jian Min, from Kedah, as saying. "He lifted our spirits and gave good answers to all our questions."
Bernama also quoted several other students lavishing praises on the PM. In his speech, Najib had explained his by now defunct 1Malaysia concept and its benefits to the nation and its people. He also promised them there would be thousands of jobs waiting for them when they came home.
"1Malaysia is aimed at uniting our country and to bring all races together to achieve progress and prosperity. Some of you may want to stay back after graduation to get work experience in Australia. That's fine. But please return to Malaysia because we will need you," Najib said.
Another lie!
But all the efforts to save Najib came to nought.
A Malaysian student - a government scholar - who attended the Najib dinner has denied praising the premier's speech. In fact, he had already posted a complaint that Bernama had distorted his word.
Whenc contacted, the student expressed surprise over the report, as the student had made the comments prior to Najib's speech.
"They totally changed and added stuff that we never said. And the whole thing was done before the speech and not after. I feel it is rather silly and unnecessary," Malaysiakini reported the student as saying.
"They put in quotes that we actually did not say and altered our words. We did not say anything bad so I don't see why they needed to do that.”
"They totally changed and added stuff that we never said. And the whole thing was done before the speech and not after. I feel it is rather silly and unnecessary," Malaysiakini reported the student as saying.
"They put in quotes that we actually did not say and altered our words. We did not say anything bad so I don't see why they needed to do that.”
When asked for comments, Pakatan Rakyat leaders could only shake their heads and laugh. They pointed Najib's recent international embarrasssment after he was caught paying RM58 million of Malaysian taxpayers' money to UK consultant FBC Media to churn falsely positive news about himself, his administration and his projects to global audiences.
UK regulators are now finalising a probe against FBC Media and may launch a full-scale public nquiry as FBC has sold its 'artificial' news to unsuspecting networks such as CNN, CNBC and even BBC. Najib and FBC have been slammed for trying to 'cheat' global audiences, while Malaysian opposition leaders have promised to grill him in Parliament over the exact amount squandered on the false publicity.
"This is obviously a regime in the death throes. When you hear words like 'awesome' and attributed to Najib, you really tend to take the report with a pinch of salt," PKR vice president Tian Chua told Malaysia Chronicle.
