UMNO is a Bad Role Model
The fall of PR government in Perak has boosted the ego of UMNO. The loud call for change which we heard right after the last general election has turned into the same old voice of racism, extremism and arrogance again.
The only UMNO leaders who are persistent with their call for change are Tengku Razaleigh and Zaid Ibrahim. The latter had resigned from the party with disgust and formed his own organisation to promote non-racialism.
Tengku Razaleigh is still reminiscing the old UMNO which was to him a great and generous party. In an interview with Astro Awani, which I was a guest caller panelist, he claimed the party was very generous to the other races. The party had given "memberi" the other races freedom to practice their religion, to receive their mother tongue education, to earn a living etc.
I support Kuli in his call to reform UMNO but I am disappointed with his old mindset. UMNO as a political party has been entrusted to rule this country for the last 52 years. Like any other political parties, it is responsible to govern fairly, efficiently and transparently. Our rights and freedom were NOT given by UMNO but are guaranteed under the federal constitution. This is the highest law of this land. Like other Malaysians, I am not indebted to the party. UMNO leaders should be indebted to all Malaysians for trusting them with the power to rule this country for more than five decades.
The earlier Tengku understands this fact the better he will be able to speak for us. This is a fact which has not been fully accepted by UMNO. Until and unless this party starts to accept the minorities as equals it will be difficult to see how the BN coalition can do well in the next general election. UMNO is not capable to rule by itself. This is a hard lesson it should have learned from the last general election. The BN which claimed to represent multiracial Malaysia has lost its lustre and its diversity.
