His grandfather’s dream

Datuk Onn wanted to open UMNO to all races. That was the main or the very first thing Datuk Onn wanted to do to realise his united Malaya dream. So the question is will UMNO now open it’s doors to non Malays? As the first step towards a united Malaysia?

By MOHSIN ABDULLAH/MySinchew

DATUK Hishamuddin Hussein, the UMNO vice president says he has the same dream his grandfather had some 50 years ago. Grand father was, of course, Datuk Onn Jaafar. And the late Datuk Onn had a noble dream – breaking racial barriers and creating a united Malaya.

So when the grandson says he is dreaming the very dream grand dad dreamed about in the 1950s, I feel attention should be given to it. What more Hari Kemerdekaan is only two days away.

Hishammuddin has been quoted as saying, "It is one that is close to me personally being the grandson of Datuk Onn who wanted to open UMNO to all races and the son of (Tun) Hussein Onn, bapa perpaduan (father of unity)”.

Yes. Datuk Onn wanted to open UMNO to all races. That was the main or the very first thing Datuk Onn wanted to do to realise his united Malaya dream. So the question is will UMNO now open it’s doors to non Malays? As the first step towards a united Malaysia? Is the party ready or willing to accept non-Malays as members?

Considering the fact there is every possibility that a non-Malay can vie for the UMNO Presidency and win, can UMNO, current leaders and the grass root alike, accept that? I think they should. After all UMNO has since the 1990s opened membership to all bumiputeras regardless of religion. That’s why now UMNO have non- Muslim bumiputeras as members. So the logical next step is to accept Chinese, Indians and others as UMNO members. The big question is whether UMNO will do it?

Hishamuddin who is a cabinet member in Najib Razak’s administration also compares Datuk Onn’s dream with Najib’s 1Malaysia. “ The 1Malaysia concept introduced by Datuk Seri Najib is a revival of Datuk Onn’s dream of a united Malaysia – many races but one Malaysia,” Hishamuddin was reported to have said.

Next question. Is 1Malaysia already a dream realised? Does that mean UMNO need not have to open it’s doors to non-Malays? That things are OK and moving in the right direction?

Hishamuddin also said this, “I continue to dream of a united Malaysia and I shall continue to hold on to that dream”.

Another question. Will Hishamuddin act upon the dream? He is on the way up in UMNO and presumably in government as well. He is already in the right position now. Will he influence party president cum PM Najib who happens to be his cousin, to help realise not only his but his grandfather’s dream?

We all know what happened to Datuk Onn when he tried to open UMNO to non Malays. His proposal was rejected. He called on UMNO to accept the controversial citizenship recommendation of what was known then as the Communities Liaison Committee. But he was labelled by some in UMNO as traitor to the Malay cause. Datuk Onn wanted to rename UMNO from United MALAYS National Organisation to United MALAYAN National Organisation. He was accused of being in a hurry which was detrimental to the Malays.

Perhaps UMNO then were not ready for Datuk Onn’s radical views. Perhaps UMNO then had all the right reasons to do what it did. Perhaps. Whatever it was, we all know Datuk Onn had no choice but to leave UMNO, the party he formed. Sadly when he passed on, he left in political frustration.

Back to the present. Is the UMNO now different from the UMNO then?

So will Hishamuddin act to realise the dream? Considering the political frustration of his grandfather, will he risk taking the same route in pursuing the dream? Or will the dream remain a dream?

To all Malaysians, MERDEKA.