by Hussein Hamid
Over the years we have time and time again witness the public unraveling of UMNO not by its detractors but by its own. Dato’ Onn Jaafar. Tunku Abdul Rahman. Tun Hussein. Tun Mahathir. Tun Musa Hitam. Tan Sri Tengku Razaleigh. A veritable list of Malays who have made history – who are our history. I am the same age as UMNO. Sixty-Three years old this year. What does the future holds for UMNO?
In March this year the outgoing Prime Minister and President of UMNO made this comment of UMNO in his last speech as UMNO’s President.
“Longevity in power has led to complacency and a number of Umno leaders are increasingly out of touch with the ordinary people who have been the source of Umno’s strength for so long.
We must rid ourselves of our arrogance and the conceit that we are the only ones who are right, that we are the only ones who know all. Distance ourselves from corruption. Let us be equal in our concern for all, be they Malays or non-Malays, party members or those who support our opponents.
Materialism has seeped into the party, making a number of party members greedy and avaricious, hence creating the negative perception that Umno is a corrupt party.
We were intoxicated by own achievements and we became complacent. We believed that we had become all powerful. We have put our own positions within the party first, instead of being concerned over Umno’s position in the eyes of our citizens and the nation”.
That in a nutshell is what UMNO has become today from some one who knows.
And yet what do we have today? UMNO is still out of touch with the reality around it. If not why would it think that the people of Permatang Pasir would accept a disbarred lawyer as its candidate? Why would it think that the ISA is still relevant in our time? Why would it use MACC as its agent for its harassment of the Opposition rather then undertake the task of ridding the country of corruption.and the list goes on.
If I can see that all this is not doing any good to UMNO, why can’t they? If I can see that this will only result in creating further rift between UMNO and the people in Malaysia – why can’t they? Is it so hard to understand that as our Political leaders they must show courage in making moral decisions that will earn them our respect? And yet when there was occasion to do so as in the Section 23 Cow-head demonstration –they drag their feet and react only after the fact. After public opinion made their disgust of Hishammuddin defense of the guilty party so clear that all the AG could do was to go after the guilty party. To do anything else would be unwise.
But for Najib and Muhyiddin that seems so hard to do. To admit mistakes made. To make decisions for all rather then for themselves. To step back from the abyss that now confront them for surely when you are at the edge the right thing to do is to step back. When can we expect to have these leader reach out to us and go forward with us rather then to constantly refer to us as being unready, immature and unable to understand that the things they do are for the common good rather then for just the Malays or UMNO alone. After having put up with fifty years of UMNO’s less then sterling performance in good governance I think we are entitled to see that UMNO will do rather then what they promise to do.
You have put away all of our leaders under ISA. Not one, not two but all of them. At every opportunity you have harass them and their families – separating them form their loved ones and intrude into their lives to demean and strip them of any dignity that they still have. Tell me Najib how will you feel if I bare for all to read your alleged infidelities. How did it feel to be linked to Altantuya – did it not cause you pain and embarrassment in facing your family – whether the accusation are true or false? Muhyiddin. How would you feel if, when push comes to shove, your personal weaknesses and faults are exposed for all to know? No these are not all part of the political scenario in Malaysia. YOU all made it part of the Political Scenario in Malaysia.
Najib Sometimes I wonder how it is possible for you to involve yourself with the sordid business of people like Saiful and the State Assemblymen from the Perak Government who left their own party to become independent. For God sake you are the Prime Minister. You must not only do the right thing for our country but also must be seen to be doing the right thing. Even the whiff of corruption and money politics should have you running quick smart in the opposite direction from where it is coming. But no – we see these people being feted and thank by you for their deeds, which are certainly viewed by the population with disgust and contempt.
Since March this year you have consistently been reacting to situation as they occur. No leadership. No reaching out to the masses with sensible and enlighten leadership. Your preoccupation in trying to eliminate the Opposition does not do you any good. Remember then the opposition garners more then 50% of the votes at the last elections. In simple terms that means that they are the elected representatives of half the population of this country. Work with them. They will not go away. There are too many of them to eliminate.
Engage in constructive dialogue with Pakatan Rakyat. Anwar has not ‘gadai hak melayu’. He is a man that has been able to remain relevant in spite of spending six years in Prison. He was able to hold the opposition together in the last election without the machinery that UMNO has – working on a shoestring budget – but relying and getting the commitment and focus from those who had had enough of the politics that UMNO offered. And UMNO offered money, position and much more – Anwar offered only the promise of things to come. The promise of hope. What he accomplished with the assist of everybody in opposition is beyond your comprehension and certainly beyond our expectation.
Now consider this Najib. What do you think he and Pakatan Rakyat can now do? They are now with a bit more experience, a bit more commitment and with the last election behind them – methinks the next election will only be a promise of better things to come for them.
I see that your way of handling the situation is to annihilate, destroy and wipe Pakatan rakyat into oblivion. Do you think this is possible with the numbers that they have? Yes you can see that Anwar and the leaders of the opposition are all within range of your fire power…but remember Najib when they are within range – so are you. Attempting to portray Anwar as a traitor to the Malays while simultaneously playing the race and religion card is surely not the thing to do now. Try constructive détente. I am sure Anwar, Kit Siang, Karpal and Tok Guru will be caught of guard if you do so.
Who cares? Thuggery rules! Why teach them to be smart? Let them destroy themselves. Let the “cancer” spread. Looking forward to GE13.
Najib and the past two PMs…do know what is wrong….past and present..speaking up….but dare not rectify the wrongs.
They know how to protect their own positions…by not offending other UMNO kingpin law makers.. that may take offense and do not agree with them.
UMNO politics is about selfishness and greed..to each his/her own….with same results…..all become multi millionaires…so all stick together for money sake.
The main issue is money are all stolen.
It is UMNO great art in acting…..performing…scheming and juggling ..manuplating….to just try their best to win votes…nothing else matters….and let no Malaysians be fooled by them anymore.
They can never change and will not change at all…to save own skins.
Loving Malaysians as ONE…is a big joke .
The fact of the matter is umno cannot do what is so obvious unless we all can promise (1) to let them continue with their corrupt and wasteful ways; and (2) not to pursue them for all their wrongdoings, neither of which they knew we can oblige.
That would be an impasse.
Curiously, he gave a very slight but tellingly different message to a majority Malay-Muslim audience at the Surau Nurulhuda at Batu 6 an hour later.
“Anwar has not ‘gadai hak melayu’” – Hussein Hamid.
Yes I think Hussein Hamid is right.
The MalaysiaInsider reported what he said in Bagan Pinang byelection campaign under title/caption “Anwar gung-ho on Bagan Pinang” by Debra Chong –
‘Curiously, he gave a very slight but tellingly different message to a majority Malay-Muslim audience at the Surau Nurulhuda at Batu 6 an hour later.
“I will separate from the DAP,” he vowed to the large number of serban-wearing Muslim men seated in the audience, should the secular party dispute the position of Bahasa Melayu, the powers of the Malay rulers, the rights of Malays and their religion.” ‘
Sorry the quote “Curiously, he gave a very slight but tellingly different message to a majority Malay-Muslim audience at the Surau Nurulhuda at Batu 6 an hour later” was wrongly attributed to writer Hussein Hamid. (It was what TheMalaysiaInsider writer Debra Chong said). My preceding posting relates only to Hussein Hamid’s statement that “Anwar has not ‘gadai hak melayu’.
Cant resist this diversion.
Lehman Bros collapsed late last yr. Administrators have now taken charge of the company. Wot about our PKFZ scandal? Yet another task force is been set up by najib to investigate the mess. I thought a report has been lodged with macc. If so, havent the macc interrogators whacked the correct answers out of all witnesses and admissions from suspects by now.
When I saw the pictures of the cow-head leaders being taken away by the police, they reminded me no less than the Bali Bombers and all other terrorists that have been prosecuted.
The fact of the matter they are cut from the same cloth. They are perverse. There is no reasoning with them or education. They will never admit they are wrong and will hold on to the smallest reason that they are right.
The point is this, there is no point reasoning with terrorist, you only reason with their supporters.
How does one cure a terminally sick person?.
UNMO and BN are on their death beds but they think they are eternal.
Sorry, off-topic
From chedet.co.cc
THE LESSON FROM JAPAN
By Dr. Mahathir Mohamad on September 11, 2009 8:19 AM | Permalink | Comments (8) | TrackBacks (0)
///1. The Liberal Democratic Party of Japan which had ruled the country since World War II has been trounced by the Democratic Party of Japan in the recent election.
2. This follows the trend which many political parties which had struggled and achieved independence had undergone. The Mashumi Party of Indonesia, the Muslim League of Pakistan, the parties which wrested independence for numerous African countries have all but disappeared.
3. It seems as if the people no longer cared for the struggles and the sacrifices that had been made by those parties and their leaders. It seems as if the beneficiaries of these struggles do not know how to be grateful.///– TDM
The Muslim league of Pakistan and the numerous parties that ushered in independence in numerous African countries did not wrest independence but had independence granted them, just like in Malaysia. The colonial masters had to decolonise after the Second World War. In many instances the persons who struggled and made sacrifices in their fight against the colonial masters were not the persons who had been given opportunities to implement self rule for the benefit of the people.
The former colonies of the British received assistance from their former colonial master for administering the country based on the rule of law, and in upholding the constitution of the country. In some countries, the rule of law breaks down, and the people could not even enjoy peace and safety in public places, as was taken for granted during the British rule. Should the people who cannot even be said to be beneficiaries be grateful to those who plunder the nation in the name of governing it?
In the colony-turned democratic countries, citizens offered their services and stood for election on their own volition. They should know that they offered their services for the betterment of the countries, and they should be grateful to the people for allowing them the opportunities to display their talents, if they had any. The question of the citizens having to feel grateful to government leaders should not arise. If one harbours such thought, he must have been convinced that he took the position of authority to dispense largesse to those he favoured on a divide and rule basis. Leaders with that mentality are a liability rather than an asset to the nation.
///4. But is it true that they are ungrateful? There is some truth but if we care to examine we will find that the independence fighters, and their successors, the builders of the countries after independence have changed almost completely.///– TDM
We can certainly say that in the case of UMNO, the successor to, differed from, the one who negotiated Malayan independence in their sense of obligation to the other partners, the leaders of MIC and MCA and hence the communities they represented thereof to honour their mutual understanding in the so-called social contract. Tun Razak removed the provision of a review in Article 153, and introduced a 20-year NEP in its stead. Subsequent UMNO leaders utilised NEP to make Malays of their choice fabulously rich, and distorted the raison d’etre of Article 153. Since NEP and Article 153 are made eternal, racial polarisation has no chance of easing. As the preferential race is depended on religion where 1.4 billion Muslims in the world are potential Malays, religion has become the point of departure. As a proof a religious superiority, areas said to have Malays in majority are intolerant of the presence of a Hindu temple, though the people, under the constitution, are free to practice any religion of their choice, certainly at the place of their choice. The quality of government leaders has changed possibly because of their outlook; they are there to profit from the position they hold, at the expense of the nation and the people.
///5. They have almost all become greedy and arrogant. They no longer care for the country or the people. They are almost invariably preoccupied with their status and their selfish needs. They have lost touch with their followers or the descendants of their followers. The spirit which had moved their founders seem no longer to be there./// TDM
That seems to be an apt description of the present BN leaders, and more so about UMNO leaders. But that was made possible by non other than Mahathir. Mahathir has emasculated the Judiciary, and the results are seen in the court judgement on cases involving the Perak coup d’etat. The Police serve the interest of the PM just like it was in 1998 when Anwar got his black eyes. The contract through non-tender ended up with negotiated transfer of public fund to private accounts, and now a claim of up to RM 1.5 billion for work-not-done. All these are possible because NEP was not intended for the needed but for the greedy, as initiated by Mahathir.
///6. Will UMNO and the BN – the successors of the Alliance which had wrested independence for Malaysia escape the fate that had befallen all these pioneer parties? From present showing it is likely that they would share the same fate.///– TDM
It would be Malaysia renaissance if UMNO could be defeated. There might have been a smooth changer for the better had AAB been allowed to be Prime Minister for all Malaysians. But Mahathir said that AAB had not done enough for Malays. Mahathir has only recently insisted that NEP have succeeded in achieving the twin objectives, but nonetheless should continue.
///7. That the rot has set in there can be no doubt. Corruption is now rampant in UMNO and the other component parties. Power struggles have emasculated them. Leaders have a strong desire to stay in office even though they have outlived their usefulness.///– TDM
A 22 years reign has not been surpassed yet the person who enjoyed the long tenure knew others’ faults but not his own. It was his quota-qualification in party selection that made a mess in the leadership quality in UMNO and by extension the government. Corruption in UMNO was only possible because it was financed by corruption in government procurements, projects, licensing and land allocation. Corruption began in a big way since TDM became PM.
///8. With such leaders the country and the people have been neglected. In the last decade despite talks of billions of Ringgit being allocated for corridors etc. there is no visible or tangible evidence. There is nothing to show for the 250 billion Ringgit extra that Petronas had paid to the Government.///– TDM
If the last decade began from November 2003, it is not quite ten years. Working backwards, it started in 1999, and the government owes the country a full accounting of how the money was spent. But the people also want to know the cash flow and investments of Petronas before they made a net transfer to the government. Why did Petronas take over some ships in 1997 when shipping was not its core business?
///9. It is strange to find that Malaysia has been outstripped by its neighbours. It is no longer the leading nation in the region. Certainly it is no longer regarded as a model.///– TDM
The world enters into knowledge based economy before the third millennium, and as the name suggests, the economy depended on human resources. Since 1970 some two million Chinese and half a million Indians and unknown number of Malays, who did not consider their success dependent on NEP, left Malaysian shores. When most of the best and brightest are competing against the country, it would be a wonder if Malaysia could best their neighbours.
TDM had the chance to end NEP and the baggage it carries. But he chooses to blame the current government leaders for the wrongs he committed, and for preventing the required reform in its discriminatory policies.
///10. Malaysia’s voters, especially the Malays have always been strongly loyal. Yet there is evidence that in 2008 many of these loyalists had voted for the opposition. States which had been Barisan Nasional strongholds are now ruled by the opposition.///– TDM
The Malays voters have been led to believe that despite corruption where the UMNO leaders had the lion share of the spoils, they get a preferential treatment over non-Malays by playing along with the age-old UMNO game of divide and rule. Some among them have come to the realisation that it was corruption that has made Malaysia a low-income country. They realise too that whatever largesse the Malays now enjoy, they can continue to do so with the resources of the country, even if shared equally with non-Malays, and more if there is no leakages through corruption. Those who have worked hard and are capable of university education realise too that they would have been able to compete in a truly meritocratic environment and yet have to bear the stigma of NEP-abled for whatever success they achieve in life. They might be able to stomach the indignity for a while so that the less capable of the Malays might avail of the opportunity for university education. But they realise too that they have indirectly caused the creation of 60,000 unemployable graduates, and counting by keeping quiet. More importantly NEP is against the teaching of Islam. It creates moral hazards in bringing in more humans to cast votes while hoping that the state and the society would bear the consequence of their irresponsibility, so as to achieve the divide-and–rule objective of UMNO.
///11. Will the next election see the same phenomenon as in Japan? It is not entirely impossible. The younger voters are said to be disenchanted by the party that won the independence. That was history and it has less meaning for the young./// — TDM
The young Malays have benefited from education and are able to think for themselves. It would be meaningless for them to insist that they should be entitled to special treatment just because of accident of the birth of others’ ancestors. They have also weighed the cost benefit analysis of a lifetime stigma of being crutch-dependants against the unfair advantage they obtain. They are willing to abide by the decision of the founding fathers whereby special assistance was given based on needs, on the initial 15-year period. That special favour had gone on more than three times the length of time originally envisaged.
///12. The only thing that would save the BN is the lack-luster performance of the opposition. The alternative is not a real alternative. But if the performance of the BN Government and parties fails to gain confidence, the frustrated voters might just do what the Japanese voters did – dump the party they had supported for more than half a century.///– TDM
It is time that the country moves on to a two party rule. That might only happen if BN lose in the next election, for the good of the country. It is not an issue of which politicians lose the life tenure as minister, but it is the real opportunity for politicians to display their talents and to be voted based on their performances rather than the organization of the political parties.
When politicians have only the job of government rather than having to ensure election success at party level, they are free from having to play money politics. The temporary political workers, those who depend on party elections for living would be reduced. The country would gain labour force for real outputs. There would certainly be fewer conflicts when politicians do not have to masquerade as race champions and give blessing to their supporters in that regard.
///13. It behoves the BN to take notice of the inevitability of the demise of the party which had gained independence for the country. It had staved off the fate before. Can it do so again?///–TDM
It would be blessing in disguise if they lose the election, and end in the demise of the race-based political parties. It is racism that has retarded the country. The almost impunity free corrupt opportunity through the political set up of the past half a century is too tempting not to be pursued. What good is it to be a government leader when the country joins the leagues of Myanmar and Zimbabwe? But the possibility of enjoying fabulous wealth overseas as a foreigner was tempting too. Only when BN collapse would their politicians pursue an honest objective to be leaders of a promising nation.
///14. In just three years’ time the new elections will be held. Time is obviously running short. Unless some drastic change is shown in the way the country is run and the people are served, the BN will join the other grand old party in the rubbish heap of history. ///– TDM
If that happens, we have a rebirth of Malaysia.
Umno is facing problems because Malaysians in general are getting tired of racial politics. Apart from race and religion, they seem don’t know how to raise other issues to win support.
What is encouraging is that more and more Malays are becoming aware that only through sincere multi-racial cooperation can our country prosper and the different races living happily and enjoying a high standard of living.
UMNO needs to change with the times if they are to survive in the long run. UMNO under Najib have shown some sparkles of this but these has not been sufficient enough.
Anwar on the other hand is highly over rated. This `talam dua muka’ cannot and should not be the PM of Malaysia, if he ever gets the chance. He has a habit of telling different people what they want to hear, even when these are at total opposites!!
Never mind…imranj78.
You can keep putting out your opinions…..try to convince Malaysians…Anwar should not be PM…….just like Mahathir.
Your face is so thick skin …your messages are so clear….saying..who is you. ..supporting an arrogant….double standards government.
Let voters decide ..vote for racialist parties or vote for freedom.
Better have a liar PM…..like Anwar…than a corrupted liar racialist PM.
One bad is better than so many from UMNO..
Anyway….we are tired of UMNO and we want change.
Nothing can be worst than UMNO….including people like you…a proven racialist.
You go back to the jungle. That’s where you belong.
Bigjoe: When I saw the pictures of the cow-head leaders being taken away by the police, they reminded me no less than the Bali Bombers and all other terrorists that have been prosecuted.
Those cowherds are well qualified to join al-Qaeda. They have demonstrated their skills in speech-making and showed finesse as headhunters. Certainly, I would recommend them to Osama…if only I know his whereabouts. But sadly, I’m NOT in this kind of business.