The UMNO Trilogy

Based on reports from Malaysiakini , I have written the following articles concerning UMNO and its purported struggle, power mongering and the current ambiguous direction our country is heading to in these times of economic turbulence. They were posted on three consecutive days from 21 May 2008 to 23 May 2008. The article below is a collection of this Trilogy of UMNO.

Part 1 UMNO - What Struggle?

Time and again we hear UMNO leaders shouting about their struggles. We see it on television and we hear it on radio everyday. Those in the party harp about it. Those who are out of the party too, like Tun Dr. Mahathir, keep ranting on the subject. It would seem like UMNO has forever been inundated with struggles throughout its 62 years of history.

“Gua punya telinga sudah sakitlah,” lamented a disgruntled old man in the coffee shop.

“Hari-hari sorak pasal perjuangan, tapi apa perjuangan yang depa maksudkan?”

(I am getting an ear ache from hearing about their struggles. But what struggles are they talking about?)

Animals struggle for survival because they are vulnerable to predators in the wild. The people of some African countries struggle against hunger and famine brought about by climate change and civil war. Millions in Myanmar and China are struggling to cope with the massive destruction caused by recent natural disasters.

But here in Malaysia, the paradise of all paradises, Malaysians live peacefully and subscribe to the tenets of democracy and civilian rule. We are blessed with bountiful harvest and a relatively vibrant economy. And most of all, we have always been free from the threat of natural disasters, famine and extreme poverty.

So what are these struggles that UMNO has been drilling into the minds of their members and the general public, day in day out?

The word ‘struggle’ connotes a constant action perpetuated to counter a specific threat and to achieve a certain goal. In this context, UMNO’s purported struggle to safeguard the interest of the Malays should be considered null and void.

This is because since Independence, we have been living under a Constitution that guarantees and safeguard the rights of the Malays and also that of all Malaysians. It is not written anywhere that this task is solely under the purview of UMNO. The onus is on every citizen of Malaysia to protect these rights. And all of us regardless of race or religion have been doing so ever since.

There was never any threat from the Chinese and Indian communities, except the threat fantasized by the people in UMNO. There was never any real fear of the Malays, except the fear created by the other racially based parties in coalition with UMNO.

Ordinary Malaysians are practical and sensible, and we have been living together under the courteous rule of give and take. It is the blind politicians who try to blind us with their sentiments and rhetorical statements in order to divide and rule us.

Are UMNO and the rest of the component parties of Barisan Nasional ‘struggling’ to protect the interest of all Malaysians? Or are they struggling to hang on to power?

After their big loss in the recent General Elections, Barisan Nasional leaders have been reminding members to be loyal to the party amidst the mud slinging and back biting. But what about the people who elected them in the first place? Aren’t elected representatives supposed to serve the people?

So, in actual fact, do Malaysians really have any cause to struggle for?

The answer is a resounding YES.

We should struggle to excel in the field of education. We should struggle to keep our economy afloat in turbulent times. We should struggle to eliminate poverty and create a level playing field for all. We should struggle to end corruption and wastage of the people’s wealth and resources.

These are what Malaysians should be struggling for. And these we should do with total insight into the needs of everyone but with total blindness towards race or religion.

UMNO has only two directions to proceed from here. It can either UPGRADE itself to become a multiracial party with open membership to everyone regardless of race or religion; or it can DOWNGRADE from being a political party to become a community based service provider.

If it chooses to evolve into a multiracial national party, it will earn the respect of all Malaysians for being brave and in tune with the sentiments of the people. If it chooses to disband and become a community based service organization, it will still be applauded for being brave and innovative.

But if UMNO, and the rest of the component parties of Barisan Nasional decide to continue their ‘struggle’ based on racial composition, then they will surely meet their own demise in the near future.

While waiting for them to decide, we should start working hard and struggle for our common ideals immediately. Malaysians have started to move a step forward into the right direction after the March 8th General Elections. It is time these errant politicians follow suit.

Part 2 UMNO's Saga of Kings, Warriors and the Common People

Malaysiakini’s latest report on the Mahathir’s resignation ‘saga’ further enhances our view that UMNO is all about people who value power more than anything else. Look closely at who is going and who is staying and you will notice that those who resigned are members who are no longer in power. The best example would be their former President Tun Dr. Mahathir. See 'UMNO accepts Mahathir's resignation'.

And as expected, the people who chose to stay behind are those who are still in office, like his own son Mukhriz, who has just been elected for the first time as a Member of Parliament.

It is not because of sentimental reasons that these people refuse to resign. It is not because of party loyalty that they chose to remain in UMNO. It is because they are still drivers and passengers aboard the gravy train that they hope will ultimately take them to honey heaven.

As I have said in my previous posting entitled “UMNO – What Struggle?” our country needs a focused and decisive government to lead us out of this feudal mentality that has plagued our political system for 50 years.

Malaysians are tired of watching UMNO’s constant drama of ‘kings and warriors’. What we want now is a real government who acts on behalf and for the common people regardless of race or religion.

Part 3 Why Doesn't Pak Lah Fight Back-lah?

The news report in Malaysiakini entitled ‘Why Doesn’t Pak Lah Fight Back?’ by Ong Kian Ming and Oon Yeoh is the inspiration for this article. It is the last of the trilogy of articles concerning UMNO which I will post in Betel Nut Chronicles. This is also the toughest one to write as I could not have imagined myself singing praises about someone whom I have hated so much throughout these years.

I am sorry to disappoint you readers, but despite his name being in the title above, this article is actually about his nemesis, Tun Dr. Mahathir – former Prime Minister of Malaysia, former President of UMNO and recently, former member of UMNO. And despite Pak Lah being the Prime Minister by law, it is Tun Dr. Mahathir who seems to be running the country at the moment.

Growing up in the 80’s and entering the real world in the 90’s, I and the rest of my generation were directly affected by this man’s policies. Many of us belong to the disadvantaged section of the Malaysian society which did not gain from his rule.

But age has made us more objective in our thoughts, and it is fair to say that Tun Dr. Mahathir has been and still is, a good leader, albeit in a bad way. His recent resignation from UMNO is testament to his true leadership qualities of being DECISIVE and CONSISTENT in his own beliefs; two qualities which we find lacking in our current Prime Minister, Pak Lah.

Let’s face it. During his tenure, Tun Dr. Mahathir did bring about development, success and much happiness to some amount of people. It was his decisiveness and consistency that made that possible. On the other hand, Pak Lah remains shrouded by his elegant cloak of silence which ironically reveals his naked indecisiveness and inconsistencies. This is what irks everyone including the layman.

Today, all sides are calling for his resignation. Some, like Mahathir, are more vocal than others, whereas those in Pakatan Rakyat, chose to be more subtle. Malaysia cannot afford to have an ambiguous leader in these times of economic turbulence. With all this bickering going on in UMNO and Barisan Nasional, it will take a long time before our country finds a new direction.

In summary, this article is not about praising Mahathir and denouncing Pak Lah. It is about leaders having the right qualities to make decisions and to be consistent in their beliefs. The question now is do we have such capable leaders in our midst?

The three months assessment period for our various newly elected leaders is coming to an end soon. From my observation, the Pakatan Rakyat state governments seem to be the only ones who are DECISIVE and CONSISTENT.

What more can I say?