Which ‘back channels’ did Najib use? – Wenger Khairy

Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak said he had to take ‘unconventional’ and ‘unprecedented’ move in order to gain access to the crash site of Malaysia Airlines Flight MH17. — Picture by Choo Choy May

In his interview with CNN as reported by Malaysian Insider, the prime minister admitted using “back channels” to negotiate with the separatists in Ukraine. 

In the interview, Datuk Seri Najib Razak tries to portray himself as being thrust into action and having to work on his feet in order to secure the return of the remains from those who had died in the incident.

I think Najib should not have played up too much his involvement in this episode because the more he reveals, the more questions people may ask as to his involvement with shadowy international figures who own the “back channels”.

Already, people have singled out Najib as a leader who holidays often in the company of the international power elite, who may know people who deal in weapons, laundered money or other kinds of contrabands.

Already we have a clue that the relationship with these people was not a result of Malaysia's international diplomacy, because it was none other than Datin Seri Rosmah who publicly had to request Vladimir Putin to get in touch with her husband, which later had the intended effect.

This was a personal connection involving the first family with the highest powers in the Kremlin, and makes people generally uneasy.

We know who the people the Kremlin likes to hang out with and these people may have wide networks that could stretch across the globe with reaches to even the remote villages in Donetsk.

And these people don't keep good company, especially for the leader of a self-proclaimed modern Islamic nation.

Did Najib have to turn to these people?  What has Najib given to these people in order to retain their services?

Some in the people may further speculate as to the identity of the “back channels”, whether there are outstanding favours to them.

If Najib wanted to praise somebody, Najib should have praised the actual people on the ground. These were the people who were in harm’s way and the Malaysian team that day was led by Col Mohd Sakri of the National Security Council.

More importantly, by personally negotiating with Alexander Borodai, the leader of the Rebels in Donestk, has Najib compromised on the objectivity of finding out who was responsible for this attack and bringing them to justice?

Already some pro-Umno blogs are trying to portray that Western allied powers were responsible for the downing of the aircraft in order to protect relations with Russia.

As a leader of the country, Najib should now make it his prime responsibility to identify those who were responsible for the incident. 

He should declare that the country would not rest until those responsible were brought to justice. The tone of the language should change and should be forward looking and not focused too much on the past, lest he be seen as trying to win popularity from a tragedy.

I hope this is not true.

*  Wenger Khairy reads The Malaysian Insider.