(Harakah Daily) - Writing in his regular column on his Malaysia Today blog, self-exiled blogger Raja Petra Kamarudin has revealed that the government's image consultant APCO Worldwide was heavily involved in arranging the US itinerary for prime minister Najib Razak, his wife Rosmah Mansor and Defence minister Ahmad Zahid Hamidi during their separate visits earlier this year.
In what appeared to be a disclosure to US's Department of Justice, Petra published a document showing APCO's task to take care of their programmes.
APCO was appointed as the government's image consultant in July last year and to advise it on Najib's 1Malaysia concept.
The giant US-based corporation however found itself in the middle of a storm following revelations by Opposition Leader Anwar Ibrahim this year that several Israeli political leaders were on its board. The company had also undertaken a similar "One Israel" campaign for Tel Aviv not long ago.
In August, Indera Mahkota member of parliament Azan Ismail revealed Malaysia was paying RM77 million in annual fees to APCO, making the country APCO's highest paying client.
APCO does everything
According to documents revealed by Petra, APCO said it had arranged for photography and videotaping of functions involving Rosmah, who the company referred to as "First Lady", for use of the Malaysian government.
It also helped in organisation of a think-tank roundtable and post-event dinner hosted by Zahid.
DREAM COME TRUE ... APCO arranged for the much sort after handshake with the US leader
According to the disclosure, during Najib’s visit in September, APCO was instrumental in arranging meetings with various representatives of the press, academic institutions, the US government and policy organisation, as well as appointments with the media.
“During Prime Minister Najib’s visit to the United States at the end of September 2010, the Registrant provided logistical support for meetings and interviews between the Prime Minister and the New York Times editorial board, representatives of CNN, the Wall Street Journal, and the Council on Foreign Relations. The Registrant also attended the Prime Minister’s speech at the Council on Foreign Relations on September 28, 2010,” it said.
Najib spent RM76.8 million to be with Barack oba
Welcome to India, Obamaji! Now, now… calm down everyone. The Big 'O' isn't what your wicked mind is thinking. The reference is to 'Obama', but yes, his virgin visit to Bharat can definitely be dubbed orgasmic. When was the last time Superman flew into town accompanied by a designer-clad Lois Lane? Bill Clinton's visit in 2002 doesn't really count – he was a disgraced, Lewinsk-ed ex-president at the time, and even his embroidered, bandmaster-style bandgala could not salvage the tattered image. This one is the real biggie.
The most powerful man in the world (take a walk, Putin, and don't forget your black belt) is all set to wow the most powerful democracy on earth – it is likely to become the ultimate power fest. A team of 1,500 honchos, US warships in our waters, fighter planes in our skies. God knows what else, where else. Let's see who blinks first. As the Americans would put it, “We have issues." Nothing all that serious, nothing that cannot be resolved, nothing that could embarrass either administration.
But— and that's an important 'but' - Obamaji has to 'get' India. That needs a certain instinct, a certain mindset. India is unique. And it's high time world leaders understood and accepted our uniqueness. It is also high time we stopped over-explaining ourselves, or apologizing for being 'like that only'. If Obama listens to his mind and heart rather than his minders, perhaps the dialogue that emerges will be more meaningful. He is an astute and clever man. Right now, his ratings are tanking almost as dramatically as Tiger Woods'. Yes, his image is taking a battering back home. And yes, Biwi No. 1 Michelle is loved and adored while he is watched and judged. But that's how it goes —it ain't a fair world. The India he will airdrop into may delight and surprise him, if he allows himself to respond and react to the country minus political blinkers. We really are good guys - annoying and impossible —but essentially good. Not that Obama has to pick at his point, but a visit on this level says a hell of a lot through non-verbal communication.
Obama has not been perceived as a 'friend of India'. His harsh comments about outsourcing have not gone down well, even though we know they were made for domestic consumption. His position on Pakistan sponsored terrorism has been more wishy-washy than we would have wished. But the timing of his visit couldn't have been better.
And it is upto us —not him - how we leverage it. At the time of writing, his exact programme remains unclear (security concerns). People in South Mumbai are starting to mew a little about the inconvenience his visit will cause them. They should be told to shut up and put up. It's a small price to pay if the trip pulls off a coup or two. Strategically speaking, his visit is expected to send out a strong and powerful signal to our neighbours.
But more than that, it is expected to boost our morale via a couple of juicy commercial deals. Obama's visit comes at an auspicious time —Diwali. We should pull out all the stops and let the guy experience the 'festival of lights' in all its dazzling glory. Instead of marching him off to predictable and boring destinations to 'pay homage' to assorted oldie goldies, let him hang out with the young of India.
Mumbai is one of the most buzzed cities on earth —a city as much about survivors as achievers. Let's hope someone up there has the imagination and guts to get the Obamas to meet the asli Mumbaikars once he's done bonding with the usual suspects. The Obamas are young, hip, cool and very today. Let them check out the electric scene for themselves – show them the real illuminations —the earthen diyas that light up the entrance of every humble shanty in Mumbai's throbbing slums. Why make our poor invisible? Leave that trick to the Chinese. Why not let Obama look into the shining eyes of our street urchins at traffic lights —share a few genuine smiles with them rather than schmooze with the fake smileswallas? Not likely, right? No matter. The Big O is coming to woo India. Let us coopt him into the Great Big Indian Family, Bollywood–style, with naach gaana, band baaja and an 'item number' composed in his honour. And no, the lyrics definitely can't go, “Barack badnaam hua, Darling India ke liye."
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