Part of the unease surrounding Mr. Najib's accession into Malayia's highest office was that he was perceived to be cut from the same cloth as his chief backer - Dr. Mahathir. There was genuine fear that the nascent freedom and openess that characterized his predecessor, Mr. Abdullah's rule, would be replaced by a tyranical clamp down associated with the 22 year reign of Dr. Mahatir.
So when the Malaysian population tuned in to watch Mr. Najib's inaugral address to the nation, even his worst critics were stunned when Mr. Najib announced the immediate release of 13 prisoners being held under the draconian Internal Security Act as well as a review of the said act.
The Opposition claims that this was done with one eye cast at the upcoming by-election. Included amongst the prisoner release, was 2 ethnic Indians, who were leaders of the Hindraf movement, a movement that had only 2 years ago brought Malaysia to a standstill when over 50,000 ethnic Indians poured into the streets of Kuala Lumpur, carrying pictures of Her Majesty the Queen, and demanding $1 trillion US dollars from the British Government as compensation for their forecable removal from mother India and reloaction to the jungles of Malaya. This movement , as disorganized and rambunctious as they were, still caught the imagination of the ethnic Indian community in Malaysia, and their discontentment seized by Mr. Anwar's Opposition Alliance to great effect in the Elections of 2008.
Mr. Najib started his first day as Prime Minister by announcing the release of 13 detainees held under the Internal Security Act that allows for detention without trial. Amongst those released were 2 members of the ethnic Indian group, Hindraf, whom the Government accused of being linked to the LTTE of Sri Lanka.
Mr. Najib's UMNO credentials were further strengthened today when ex-Prime Minister Mahathir Mohammad rejoined UMNO, having left the party he helped found under a cloud due to an ugly spat with Mr. Najib's predecessor, Prime Minister Abudllah Badawi. Dr. Mahathir is believed to still command wide support amongst the Malay massess. In fact as proof Dr. Mahathir's support within UMNO, it is accepted that his incessant and vitriolic attack directed at Mr. Abdullah and his advisors, hastened Mr. Abdullah's exit from the position of leadership within UMNO and with that the post of Prime Minister.
Indeed the culmination of Mr. Najib's first 24 hours in power has seen him win friends amongst 2 ethnic communities, the Malays and the Indians, who increasingly find it difficult to agree on almost anything.
