Najib heads into tough race with vow to make Malaysia great
KUALA LUMPUR, Malaysia — Malaysian Prime Minister Najib Razak unveiled a lavish election manifesto with cash benefits targeting rural ethnic Malays, his key voting bloc, as he faces an unprecedented challenge from a revived opposition led by his former mentor, Mahathir Mohamad.
Najib, 64, is seeking a third term in office under pressure to improve his National Front coalition’s performance after support eroded in the last two elections. He has been dogged by a massive corruption scandal involving the 1MDB state fund, which is under investigation in the U.S. and other countries for allegations of cross-border embezzlement and money laundering.
The 220-page election manifesto, which includes 364 pledges, was launched Saturday, the day Parliament was dissolved to pave the way for national polls expected in early May.
His campaign slogan “Make my country great with BN” — the Malay acronym for the National Front — has similarities with President Donald Trump’s 2016 election motto “Make America great again.”