By Sakmongkol AK47 | June 01, 2011
The Malaysian Insider
JUNE 1 — Umno’s unfinished revolution: One step forward and two steps back.
We can’t go back to 1946 and wished the motivations and inspirations that awoken the Malays remained unchanged. That wish would have to assume that every leader is born at the same time and is of similar constitution — boldness in character, dedication to public service, possessing selfless dedication.
Let me illustrate the stark contrast in character constitution that I refer to.
When Tun Razak died, he had little money. His only liquid asset of any merit was the Magsaysay Award. He didn’t have enough funds to finance his medical bills in England. After he died, the government had to step in to give his wife a home for her and her children.
When Tunku Abdul Rahman died, he, too, had no money. A few times he was saved financially by Tun Datu Mustapha.
Let’s take the case of a more plebeian leader — Khir Johari. When he was alive and in power, all sorts of accusations were hurled at him. I remember looking at a picture of him and his wife donning traditional Chinese costumes wishing the Chinese, Happy New Year. It was probably done in good sport.
Towards the end of his life, every one found out he had only one house in Bukit Damansara. Those rights over that house were disputed. In the end he had to leave the house and moved into an apartment. He died in that apartment.
What these examples show is that, by and large, these first generation Umno leaders were actually of selfless material, enjoying the trappings of power indeed while in office, but taking none after they leave.
Present-day Umno leaders are a world apart. The majority are loud in every sense of the word.
This difference can only be explained by one factor. Umno has been taken over by leadership of different material who is conditioned by different experiences having less service to the public motives.
This may be a shocking admission, but I hope the present-day Umno leadership is aware of the general perception that is getting stronger by the day, that present-day Umno leadership consists of a bunch of sly politicians intent on making hay while it shines.
But certainly, what we could expect is to have those motivations and ideals behind the Umno of 1946, refined and enhanced. From closed mind to openness, from debilitating traditionalism to modernism. These must the founding principles behind the “betulkan orang Melayu” drive of Onn Jaafar.
Sad to say, Umno must bear the primary responsibility over the more or less unchanged mental landscape of Malays in general. Umno alone is responsible for the regressive ideas of Malays. If they have been sleeping over eons, they now have been given sleeping pills to slumber along while the world passes them over.
Over the years, Umno leadership has caused the motivations and inspirations that moved an entire nation to degenerate into besieged paranoia and parochialism.
So before I go on, maybe it’s timely for me to remind Malay readers especially of what Zaaba said some time ago:
I tell you not in mournful numbers,
That the Malays are a dying race,
I only want the soul that slumbers,
To wake and work in these bright days. — sakmongkol.blogspot.com
* Sakmongkol AK47 is the nom de plume of Datuk Mohd Ariff Sabri Abdul Aziz. He was Pulau Manis assemblyman (2004-2008).
What unfinished revolution?
Just dig a hole and bury it. Then revolution finished.
“Present-day Umno leaders are a world apart” from olden days leaders, TAR, Razak, Khir, relatively poor. They were poor because they valued integrity and didn’t dip their hands in natural coffers. Having integrity & principles often (not all the time) conflicts with mud raking search for monetary gain.
The problem is not just “present-day Umno leaders”. It is that of larger Malaysian society likely part of world wide phenomenon of intensification of material culture. It is not confined to politics. What’s integrity of our business men compared to (say) 30/40 years ago? They squeeze you, drag payment and often don’t even pay. Those early years, word was bond, now they would renege even on the written promise!
We now desire more money to conspicuously buy bigger houses/cars etc hoping to impress to enjoy higher social/economic status which in turn influence people of same desires to gravitate towards us and provide opportunities to make even more money.
If larger society is like that, can we expect its leaders, drawn from such a society, exercising power and influence in decision making (whether in politics (say) UMNO or even in PR when they are in power) or leaders of corporations and businesses do any less and put integrity above making the Buck? “Present-day Umno leaders” are but perhaps an extreme manifestation of what essentially is a larger societal problem of unbridled consumerism, which will not go away even if one could kick all of them out.
At the heart of corruption is the power to leverage an unfair gain (over the rest) which political power and public office provide opportunties.
Politicians are drawn from the larger society. If the larger society were generally gripped by the fever to make money held more important than integrity, are persons vying for political or public office likely free from this infection/fever? I would imagine no. In fact those who have the higest fever and infection amongst the average in society are likely those who will vie for political or public office to use the position to make money. Their success is also dependent on how much money they can raise and spend in the campaign. It has become a business – spending money to make more money!
Actually he raises a good point. The fact of the matter is those that have sacrificed the most for UMNO, the older Malays are in danger because of the current and coming inflation. Its clear a lot of them won’t have enough retirement funds as prices soar. They can do the math. Their young can get good jobs and their aging parents need their help. Its a recipe for disaster for UMNO..
SAkmongkol, thanks for the nostalgia. Thanks too for telling the world the calibre and calling of those early founding fathers of the nation. Tunku is always remembered with fondness, so too Razak and Khir.
But that’s where nostalgia ends and reality bites. UMNo today is no longer the UMNO of old. This is the UMNO Baru – vicious, corrupt, racist, degenerate, murky, vindictive and immoral. The cancer is terminal; truly beyond help. Mahathir has destroyed Umno by making it his personal fiefdom.
So Sakmongkol – as you have been truthful, so truth should also be told. UMNO is best buried but the nostagia will live long. Once upon a time there existed a great party, instrumental in the birth of a new nation…..
My forecast is UMNO would be buried when mamakthir is no longer around to infect further ruin. Period.
In yesteryears mark up on projects, 30%, now 300%? Inflation to blame?
Early founding fathers of the nation were praiseworthy as they devoted their entire attention on the well-being of the nation rather than on their pockets.
Unfortunately, it is rare to find such leaders these days.