Perception the new name of political game now: Najib

KUALA LUMPUR: Perception is the new name of the political game and grassroots leaders today must be mindful of this when they deal with the community, said Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Abdul Razak (pix).
He said the political fight today is all about perception and the opposition is using this as a weapon to win the people's support.
He said with this, what is real can become fake and vice-versa and thus village heads, the village development and security committee (JKKK) and the federal village development and security committee (JKKKP), must not fall victim to this.
"An opposition MP had gone to Sarawak and taken a picture of a logging road and claimed it to be a rural road on the social media," Najib said.
He added that these are the type of issues on the social media that grassroots leaders need to learn how to deal with.
He said the fact that the government has been able to start building the Pan Borneo Highway which will be toll free will be ignored but grassroots leaders must promote this.
"I too have been a victim of this war of perception when I was in Beijing with federal ministers and my wife. A picture was taken in a hotel room and it spread on the social media that my wife was attending a cabinet meeting.
"We were actually making plans to return to Kuala Lumpur as the Sultan of Perak had passed away," the prime minister said after launchimg he JKKK, JKKKP and JKKP Orang Asli Convention here today.
Najib urged all those present to check the facts of a story and not simply believe it.
He said the role of the JKKK is no longer just to ask for village projects because in this changing world grassroots leaders must know the pulse of the people and their needs so that the government can help.
He reminded them that today they are the eyes and ears of the government and they must be aware about what the people want.
Najib said the Barisan Nasional government has brought development to rural areas and if the people put their trust in the opposition this will not happen.
He said DAP which is the most powerful party in the opposition has no interest in developing rural areas.