No Malaysian is shocked that Datuk Seri Najib Razak’s Umno Presidential Address to the 66th UMNO General Assembly this morning is a war-cry to UMNO leaders and members to “fight like Churchill” to defend UMNO political power in Putrajaya in the 13th General Elections which I expect to be held within four months by March next year.
No Malaysian is surprised that UMNO leaders at the various UMNO Assemblies are raising the warning that the defeat of UMNO in the 13GE would result in the Malays in the country losing their political power, although rational and level-headed Malaysians can immediately see the fallacy of this falsehood as it is the UMNO leaders and not the Malays who will lose political power with the Umno/BN Federal Government replaced by the Pakatan Rakyat coalition of PKR, PAS and DAP. Furthermore, this is in direct contradiction to MCA propaganda that it is the Chinese and non-Malays who will suffer further loss of their political, educational, socio-economic and citizenship rights when Pakatan Rakyat comes to power in Putrajaya.
Although Malaysians are outraged, it is also not completely outside their expectations that apart from exploiting the race and religious cards at the UMNO Assemblies, UMNO leaders are also try to stoke fear by playing the “May 13 card” – proof that UMNO leaders are under great “pressure” as they know in their heart of hearts that the 13GE could signal the end of UMNO hegemony in Putrajaya despite all the brave front put up by UMNO leaders that UMNO/BN are sure to be returned to power in the 13GE, even to regain its parliamentary two-thirds majority.
But what must have come as a surprise to Malaysians is the total lack of vision in Najib’s UMNO Presidential speech of what Malaysian nation he wants to build in the second half of the first century of the country’s nationhood – apart from the cliché of “high-income developed state”.
There is nothing more empty and hollow in Najib’s Umno Presidential Address than when he shouted “1Malaysia” at the start of his speech, as his 1Malaysia concept and objective to create a Malaysia where every Malaysian regards himself or herself as Malaysian first and race, religion, region and socio-economic status second is the greatest failure of all the Najib sloganeerings – reduced to pathetic multiplication, commercialisation and cheapening of the slogan to try to win votes for Umno/BN in the 13GE.
Najib’s omission of three paramount issues in his Umno presidential address confirms the vital necessity of political change in 13GE to take Malaysia to next step of national development.
The three paramount national issues omitted by Najib are:
• Announce zero tolerance for corruption and full commitment to wage war against corruption and uphold integrity both in UMNO and the country.
• Establish Najib’s sincerity in his 1Malaysia concept by declaring that Ketuanan Rakyat Malaysia and not Ketuanan Melayu is the overarching UMNO objective.
• Demonstrate full democratic credentials and loyalty to his declared objective to make Malaysia “world’s best democracy” by committing UMNO to fully respect the right of voters to choose the government they want and full assurance to transfer power peacefully to Pakatan Raykat if this is the voters’ verdict in the 13GE.
Will Najib rectify these three vital omissions in his winding-up speech at the end of the Umno General Assembly?