APCO and Malaysia - What you need to know

by Fatimah Zuhri

1. Since the past 1 month, a lot of "noises" have been coming out from the opposition camp in regards to APCO. Of course like everything else in Malaysia, the opposition (read : PKR-DAP-PAS) always have a lame reason why they bring up this issue.

2. After failing to demonize the Prime Minister with lies and false accusations (plus with the never ending internal problems of their own) the opposition is trying to come out with a new strategy to save whatever is left for them. That strategy is to associate Malaysian Government with APCO Worldwide.

Who is APCO Worlwide?

3. First of all let us take a look at who is APCO, what does it do and how does it engage with the Malaysian Government.

4. APCO Worldwide is a renowned consultancy company. For example, 7 out of the top 10 Fortune Global 500 companies are consulted by APCO.

http://money.cnn.com/magazines/fortune/fortune500/2009/full_list/

5. As a Malaysian, we should be proud that our country is aligned with such a reputable and professional company.

6. But then again, how many PAS people actually read Fortune magazine? LOL Instead they prefer to read "magazines/books" on how men can "last longer in bed"...lol or read fairy-tales such as the ones you can find in MToday.

What does APCO do for the Malaysian government?

7. Ever since Anwar Ibrahim was sacked from the Government in 1997, for years, he and his inner circles have been going around the world meeting different lobbyist groups and leaders espousing/fabricating lies about our beloved country, Malaysia.

8. Suffice to say, for almost 13 years now the country image abroad have been tarnished by this bloke called Anwar Ibrahim and the opposition. This have made it difficult for our country at times to engage with the international communities on important political, economic and social issues which are crucial to our country development and security.

9. After the disastrous premiership of Paklah, we were left with only 11 years before we reach the goal of becoming a developed country (Vision 2020).

10. In order to achieve that goal, we need co-operations and investments from the international communities. So, the Government opted to have APCO mainly to help restore our country image overseas.

11. APCO primary task is to build a positive image of the country overseas. It does not in anyway participates in policy making decision or have anything to do with Malaysian local politics.

Why the opposition PAS-PKR-DAP use APCO as a scapegoat ?

12. As we have all read in the past 1 year or so, the momentum that the opposition gained from the General Election-12 have all gone down the drain. At the moment, the opposition is in chaos. There is no clear and firm leadership. They are like headless chickens running around without a clear goal nor objectives.

13. In my previous article titled "The future of PAS-PKR-DAP Part 2", I stated that one of the reasons why the opposition will not succeed is because of PM Najib himself.

http://www.facebook.com/notes/fatimah-zuhri/the-future-of-pas-pkr-dap-part-2-first-published-on-16-10-2009/312070853412

14. Anwar and a few of his inner circle knew from early on that Najib is not another Paklah. However 90% of the opposition supporters especially those who are inclined to support PAS and DAP are political virgins or "virgin sheep".

15. Their understanding or lack thereof really is amusing. When Anwar and his inner circles started a political campaign to discredit the PM as being weak and incompetent, this "virgin sheep" believe 110% the words that came out from Anwar's mouth.

16. When independent survey, statistics, reports and polls came out showing the amazing result that PM Najib have gained in less than a year of his premiership, this "virgin sheep" were left dumbfounded and confused.

17. In an effort to re-energize his now demoralized base and also to distract them from his Sodomy trial, Anwar and his inner circle have to find a "scapegoat".

18. Anwar does not want to give credit to PM Najib and the Government for transforming Malaysia from a stagnant economy entering recession (under Paklah) to a nation well on its way out of the recession in less than 1 year! Therefore he attributed these "achievements" to "foreigners"...i.e. APCO Worldwide.

19. The opposition is trying very hard to paint a picture that the significant progress that Malaysia achieved were due to "foreigners" rather than PM Najib and the BN Government.

20. The opposition know that if they do not "discredit" the Government achievement, the public will support the Government. That is why for e.g. Lim Kit Siang rejected the findings from the recent Merdeka Centre's survey although just one year ago he was defending the survey done by the same company! LOL

Note : Recent survey showed majority of Malaysian supported PM Najib and BN Govt ( 60-70% support). A similar survey done a year ago, showed BN only had 44% support.

Why is PKR-DAP-PAS playing the anti-Semitic and racist campaign ?

21. Before and right after GE-12, the opposition said they were no longer going to play "old politics" based on race and religion.

22. But if one were to follow recent statements and actions by the opposition, you can clearly see that they are "cakap tak serupa bikin" kind of people.

23. The reason for this is simple. Through APCO Worldwide, the country image have taken a step in the right direction. If one were to follow Anwar Ibrahim's progress in the last 1 year you would know that he is fast losing the support of world leaders.

24. Take for example what happened between Anwar Ibrahim and Kevin Rudd (Australia PM). Sometime last year, Anwar went to see with Kevin Rudd trying to obtained the latter support for his sodomy trial. Anwar being the usual charmer that he is went on and on about all the "evil" things that the Malaysian Government allegedly did.

25. However Kevin Rudd were briefed and informed prior regarding the real situation of what is happening in Malaysia. As a result, in both of these meetings, Anwar failed is his bid to gained support of the Australian Government.

26. Not ready to "lose face" with his supporters, Anwar instructed his "machai", a bloke by the name of Ghouse (a person who made a fortune when Anwar was TPM and the person who is bank rolling tons of $$$ for PKR machinery) to get a bunch of Australian liberal MPs to condemn the Sodomy trial.

27. These unfortunate MPs were told that Malaysia Government prosecute Anwar because the Government hated homosexuals. However later these MPs were given info that the Sodomy trial is a in fact a rape trial where Anwar is accused to sodomized another person without consent.

28. Another case is the relationship between Anwar and the United States. When Obama came to power and Hillary Clinton was elected as Secretary of State, Anwar thought he could "rekindle" past relationship with the Clintons. During Mr Clinton time, Anwar were heavily supported by the US. Anwar thought that now Mrs Clinton is in power albeit just as Sec of State, he would get some support.

29. However this turn out to be Anwar's nightmare. Excellent work by the people at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Malaysian Embassy in Washington DC have made the US-Malaysia relationship a very warm and respectful one. Kudos to them! The recent close door meeting in Washington DC was another example of the new and improved warm relationship between Washington DC and PutraJaya.

30. The anti-Semitic / racist sentiment which Anwar is playing now is a testament to the desperado strategy that the opposition is using. For them everything is fair now. To hell with the promise of "new politics" which they championed before and after GE 12.

31. It is embarrassing that APCO Worlwide had to came out twice in a week to disapprove of this lie. In both press statements, APCO denied they are working with the Govt of Israel and it had nothing to do with 1Malaysian.

http://www.apcoworldwide.com/content/news/press_releases.aspx

32. With the latest desperado anti-Semitic and racist act by the opposition, they are losing the intellectual and liberals support. The liberals in the opposition camp are dumbfounded and confused with the recent strategy by the opposition.

33. Just like the Altantuya's murder, the accusation that APCO is linked to Zionist are both a lie and fitnah. But Anwar and his inner circle knows that the "virgin sheep" will believe every word that come out from their mouth no matter how many proof is shown to them.

34. The blind hatred that this "virgin sheep" have in their eyes and in their heart is the reason why come GE13, the opposition will lose considerably more than what they won in GE12.

35. The opposition is crumbling from within but they are in a denial mode. Pro-Ulama in PAS is slowly moving away from the unholy trinity of PAS-PKR-DAP leaving only the pro-Erdogan in PAS still wanting to remain in the trinity. This has been predicted by many people before.

36. Perhaps one day,years after GE13, someone from the opposition party will write a book titled " Tersungkur Di Pintu PutraJaya"..akin to the infamous book by former Al Arqam member "Tersungkur Di Pintu Syurga". The RM 1 million question is who will write this?

KUALA LUMPUR, 2 April (Bernama) -- Sebanyak 68 peratus rakyat Malaysia yang dikaji selidik didapati berpuas hati dengan prestasi Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak selaku Perdana Menteri Malaysia keenam selepas 12 bulan beliau mentadbir negara.

Menurut The Malaysian Insider yang memetik survei pendapat yang dilakukan oleh Merdeka Centre, sokongan terhadap beliau sebelum ini hanyalah 44 peratus yang antara lain dikatakan berpunca daripada prestasi ekonomi negara yang merosot dan beliau sentiasa mendapat gambaran negatif.

Survei tersebut yang dimuatkan dalam portal Malaysian Insider Jumaat, telah menemu bual 883 pengundi berdaftar di Semenanjung antara 11 Mac hingga 27 Mac lalu dengan mengemukakan soalan seperti hala tuju negara, kepuasan hati rakyat terhadap perdana menteri dan persepsi terhadap beberapa inisiatif utama Najib.

Penarafan tersebut merupakan yang tertinggi sejak Merdeka Center membuat kajian pendapat sejak April 2009, bulan di mana Najib menggantikan Tun Abdullah Ahmad Badawi di Putrajaya.

Survei berkenaan mendapati sejak Jun 2009, tahap kepuasan hati terhadap prestasi Najib berlegar di sekitar kadar 65 peratus, pernah menurun pada tahap 56 peratus September tahun lalu, berikutan adanya protes mengarak kepala lembu di Shah Alam dan kematian pembantu kepada pemimpin DAP, Teoh Beng Hock semasa dalam siasatan Suruhanjaya Pencegahan Rasuah Malaysia (SPRM).

Dan di dalam survei mutakhir, 68 peratus responden menyatakan bahawa mereka berpuas hati dengan prestasi perdana menteri.

Sokongan menaik ini berlaku walaupun wujud kontroversi penggunaan kalimah Allah dan beberapa serangan terhadap rumah ibadat.

Menurut kaji selidik berkenaan, sokongan terhadap Najib bertambah berikutan ekonomi yang semakin pulih ditambah pula dengan masalah yang dihadapi parti pembangkang di mana ahli dan pemimpin mereka keluar parti dan pertelingkahan sesama sendiri.

Sebanyak 74 peratus responden Melayu didapati berpuas hati dengan prestasi Najib disertai oleh 77 peratus responden India, kemungkinan berikutan lawatan simbolik perdana menteri ke Batu Caves semasa perayaan Thaipusam dan janjinya untuk meningkatkan status ekonomi masyarakat India.

Namun di kalangan responden Cina, Najib dan Barisan Nasional (BN) masih belum memenangi hati mereka. Hanya lebih sedikit daripada 50 peratus responden Cina yang berpuas hati dengan beliau di mana kaum Cina menerusi survei itu turut dikatakan menjadi sasaran Pertubuhan Pribumi Perkasa Malaysia (Perkasa).

Sebanyak 66 peratus responden Cina juga didapati mempunyai sentimen negatif terhadap Umno.

Namun dalam ringkasan survei tersebut, Ibrahim Suffian dari Merdeka Center mengingatkan bahawa peratusan yang tinggi tidak boleh dianggap sebagai sokongan pengundi kepada perdana menteri, tetapi sekadar persetujuan terhadap hasrat dan polisi Najib.

Sebagai contoh katanya, walapun 74 peratus responden Melayu berpuas hati dengan prestasi 100 hari Najib sebagai perdana menteri berdasarkan soalan "Betul" atau "Salah", tetapi hanya dianggarkan sekitar 55 hingga 57 peratus pengundi Melayu yang mahu mengundi BN.

Antara dapatan utama lain kaji selidik tersebut ialah:- * Lebih ramai rakyat memberi kepercayaan terhadap Najib (31 peratus) berbanding terhadap Umno (22 peratus).

Dari segi kaum, kaum India lebih memberi kepercayaan tinggi terhadap Najib (51 peratus) berbanding kepada Umno (13 peratus) sementara kepercyaan kaum Cina kepada Najib (46 peratus) berbanding kepada Umno (6 peratus).

* Kira-kira 61 peratus rakyat tidak bersetuju dengan pelaksanaan cukai barangan dan perkhidmatan.

* Kurang daripada 60 peratus rakyat tidak menyokong penghapusan subsidi.

* Kebanyakan rakyat (80 peratus) beranggapan Najib mudah didekati. -- BERNAMA