Saudi Arabia's English Daily Showers Praise On "Extraordinary Statesman" PM Najib
"Affable, wise, popular and politically astute."
By Sadho Ram — 03 Mar 2016, 06:01 PM
Arab News, an English daily newspaper owned by SMRG whose Chairman, Turki bin Salman Al Saud, is a member of the House of Saud, the ruling royal family of Saudi Arabia, has showered high praise on PM Najib Razak, who was in Saudi Arabia to "reaffirm the excellent state of bilateral relations" between both the countries
The piece, published on 3 March, begins by describing how Malaysian prime ministers, from late Tun Abdul Razak to Dr Mahathir or even Abdullah Ahmad Badawi, have "captured the imagination of the Muslim world with their vision and commitment to creating a prosperous, just and equitable society".
Claiming how the previous prime ministers of Malaysia were all admired inside as well as outside the country, the piece then equates Najib Razak to them and places him on the similar pedestal, saying how Najib is no different from his predecessors in his aim to build Malaysia from the bottom up into the modern state it is today.
Using words such as "the affable, wise, popular and politically astute", Arab News then credits Najib with setting in motion "a series of measures that has seen his country fight off recession and successfully overcome the slowdown in the global economy"
"Today, under his leadership, Malaysian state-run companies are operating international airports, including the one in Istanbul, Turkey. They are also among the three top bidders for Jeddah’s airport project."
arabnews.comThe piece lauds Najib's "decision to become part of the Saudi-led 34-nation military alliance and his unflinching stand against foreign (read Iranian) interference in the domestic affairs of other countries are seen as his distinguishing characteristics" more than "his business acumen and vision, adding that "those traits differentiate him from ordinary leaders and turn him into an extraordinary statesman."
While PM Najib's visit to Saudi came after A-G Apandi decided not to prosecute him, saying the USD681 deposited in his accounts were a "personal donation" from the Saudi royal family and that most of it had been returned, the high praise from Arab News comes on the foothills of a scathing criticism of Malaysia from the United States for the country's recent media crackdown. Read here: