FIVE years ago, Najib Razak was everywhere on the campaign trail. 

His was the only face on Barisan Nasional posters, banners, badges and other election material.

The prime minister’s handlers and strategists wanted him to sound and act presidential like former US president Barack Obama, believing that his image was a much better sell on the ground than that of BN or Umno.

So it was Najib, here, there and everywhere. “I Love PM” flags and banners were more visible than “We love BN” or “I love Umno”.

The Najib first or presidential-style campaign backfired with BN losing more seats at the parliamentary level than 2008 and the coalition losing the popular vote for the first time.

BN also failed to recapture Penang and Selangor and allowed the opposition to make inroads in Johor.

Five years on, BN strategists and political and branding consultants believe that it will be dangerous to make brand Najib the cornerstone of the GE14 campaign.‎ 

Today, his approval rating hovers between 20% and 40%, a sharp drop from the 55% rating he enjoyed before GE13.

As a brand, Najib Razak is damaged, said political analysts.

As a brand, Najib Razak is a hard sell to voters, said branding and advertising consultants.

“No brand manager in his right mind will run the GE14 campaign like how it was run in GE13. Najib Razak, as a brand needs a lot of work to sell,” said a branding and advertising consultant who spoke to The Malaysian Insight on condition of anonymity.

In the past four years, Najib has been on the back foot, trying to fend off the muck from the 1Malaysia Development Bhd (1MDB) scandal – one centred on billions of ringgit being diverted from a state-owned company to bank accounts run by his close associates, including fugitive Low Taek Jho.

While no one has been found guilty in Malaysia over the wrongdoing at 1MDB, a few banks have been shut down and a clutch of bankers have been charged with money laundering and other offences in Singapore and Switzerland.

Compounding matters is the worldwide publicity given to the Department of Justice case against Jho Low, Reza Aziz and a government official identified as MO1.

In addition to the beating the PM’s brand has taken from the 1MDB scandal, Najib also has to defend the rising cost of living and the introduction of the unpopular goods and services tax (GST).

“We will not see a presidential campaign in GE14,” said Universiti Malaya political scientist Dr Awang Azman Awang Pawi, referring to BN’s campaign style in the 13th general election.

“The campaign’s focus on the prime minister cannot work when Najib’s image is at its lowest point in the country’s political history.‎

“It is impossible to pull off a presidential-style campaign again,” he added.

With GE14 likely to be held in less than 100 days, ‎how will Najib and BN try to win over voters, especially the fence-sitters?

Few ideas are being tossed around but Umno and BN do not have much wiggle room. It is headed by a leader who is pock-marked ‎by scandal and the BN and Umno brand has also been damaged over the years because of the excesses of their politicians.

A source familiar with the BN campaign machinery, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said there will be more humility in the campaign message.

There will be less of the laundry list of policies and achievements delivered by BN but more focus on the symbiotic relationship between Malaysians and the coalition that has ruled the country since independence in 1957.

“The middle ground appreciates what the government has done but what people cannot stand is the arrogance, because people did their part as well, not BN 100%,” said the BN source.

He was referring to BN leaders’ tendency to remind the people that their economic and educational successes, for instance, are due to BN’s policies.

“It’s true that there are good policies but the people who succeeded in education and the economy did so because of their own efforts,” said the source.

The source said BN will base its campaign on the message that the government and the people are inseparable, “like birds that can only fly far with a pair of wings”.

“Are we perfect? No, we are far from perfect but we have the experience and we are united,” said the source.

This will be the foundation of BN’s manifesto in GE14, said the source.

Apart from a national manifesto, there will also be manifestos for each state.

When asked whether BN will adopt the theme Negaraku, the theme Putrajaya adopted for a few campaigns a few months ago, the source stressed that BN manifesto in GE14 will focus on the “people” as its main theme.

“Negaraku is national branding, nothing to do with GE14,” said the source.

What can BN bank on?

Awang Azman said in contrast to the presidential-style, BN should highlight the strengths of its candidates in the areas they are contesting.

He said such an approach is more realistic and crucial to ensure BN wins more seats at the state and federal level.

“The focus on the candidate in the state or parliamentary seat is more effective to gain the support of voters,” he said, adding that the candidates must have their own unique strengths.

For political analyst Dr Sivamurugan Pandian, one of the BN’s best assets is its unity compared with that of the opposition.

“This is the way BN should campaign” said the Universiti Sains Malaysia lecturer.

The BN campaign is also likely to focus on Umno’s track record of protecting Malay and Muslim interests in the country.

GE14 will be about the ability of making sure BN’s base or constituency turn out to vote in large numbers.

And a sure way to mobilise that base will be to highlight issues and policies that are important to them, and to make clear what will be at stake if power is lost at the state and federal level. 

‎Expect race and religion to feature prominently. Expect also the government to trumpet its infrastructure wins, such as the MRT system.

But don’t expect to see Najib Razak’s posters all over the place, from the back of beyond to urban centres. The Najib brand just isn’t what it used to be – and the BN strategists know that. – February 2, 2018.