A Primary One student can make the easy claim that he can deliver. In fact, all salesmen, businessmen and any Tom Dick and Harry are capable of making a similar promise.


I was disconnected from the virtual and outside world for almost a month, and have had no idea what the local political scene has turned into. While eating my nasi lemak bungkus, I read a Star newspaper headline from its wrapping that stated, “I can deliver – Najib Razak”.

Today, after getting connected again and having read most of the recent political news, I wonder what the Prime Minister meant by “I can deliver”. Merely giving a salesman type of answer – “I can deliver” – means nothing if the whole system of manufacturing the product is not working in sync.

Way back in the late 90’s when I was in the U.S., I applied for a delivery job in a restaurant. The boss asked me one question, ‘Can you deliver?’ Naturally, my answer was ‘I can deliver’. He then laughed and told me that he had fired six delivery men within six months, all answering the same question with my same answer. I asked him what went wrong.

His explanations included these: either the car broke down frequently, or workers were unable to read the road map, or there were poor working relationships with co-workers accompanied by some flirting around. I then assured the boss that I would not have such problems, and that he should try me out for a month. I was then employed as the restaurant was in urgent need of a delivery man.

Within two months, I was named the fastest delivery man in town. Customers were satisfied with their orders as I made sure they arrived on time and in good, warm condition. Also, I seldom crossed the speed limit and never got caught for traffic offences. In fact, there were actually complaints to the restaurant that I made deliveries too quickly (no kidding). Wondering how I successfully and speedily made the deliveries? Here’s how.

In my two weeks of employment, I replaced my old, broken down Ford Escort with a brand new Nissan Sentra. Inside the restaurant kitchen were a Chinese chef, Indonesian helpers who prepared raw ingredients, and Americans taking phone orders and doing packaging. I worked very closely with them all. Once the orders were taken, I would be notified of the delivery addresses (I always reminded them to ensure the addresses were correct), after which I would study the map to find the exact locations. Also, I worked with the chef to speed up on orders. The persons in charge of packaging would then follow the list I provided and pack orders according to whichever locations I would head to first.

One can deliver successfully only when the whole system is functioning properly. Najib Razak alone cannot make any delivery unless he cleans up the whole governmental system – which is rotten to the core, to the extent of his Deputy not working or acting in sync with his policies. With such a sorry state at hand, how can the PM deliver anything? Sending his cybertroppers to attack the opposition with unsubstantiated claims of wrongdoings and creating lies upon lies definitely do not help either.

Handing out goodies near election time is no delivery, but an insult to voters. Playing cool on the outside but being cold on the inside ain’t delivery. Rescinding and making U-turns after policies are enforced cannot and do not count as ‘delivery’. So does copying the ideas of others and branding them as one’s own.

Without making changes to the judiciary, PDRM, MACC, EC, and laws that hinder democracy, without the elimination of race/religious-based relationships, and without the appointment of suitably qualified candidates to vital Ministerial posts (such as finance and education), I’m afraid that all Najib can deliver is a big zero.

Today, ironically, our Prime Minister has given us a rather good piece of advice: “Don’t be afraid to take risks”. So what are you all waiting for, grumbling and being indecisive?  BN/Umno has been in power for over five decades; we have seen and heard how bad they are and yet, we keep voting them in because we dare not take risks. Let us not be afraid to do so. Let us take real and different actions to change what is bad and filthy in our nation’s governmental bodies. Go for it because, believe me, this risk is worth taking.

A retired 60-year old trying to do and help to make a possible change for a better Malaysia.

2 replies on “GE13: “I can deliver.” Talk is cheap!”

  1. Dear PM, sure you can deliver? Frankly speaking, we (rakyat) still not see anything. Go and ask the rakyat what is GTP, ETP, NKRA. NKEA. Not everyone knows about it. Only thing we know is Kedai Rakyat 1Malaysia. Just stop with all those economic bombastic terms and plans. Please make it simple for us to understand your actual plan.

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