UMNO….”keadaan terkawal” ?

Rakyat … “the times that are a changing!”

Every new day for UMNO brings with it new hope – it has nothing much else to look forward to but hope!

By steadyaku47 

News that a record 86 contenders for 25 CC position in the MCA elections this Sunday can only mean that with an MCA in disarray, it is UMNO that will dictate the sharing of the spoils of war from the many projects, contracts and tenders to be awarded by the Government! No need to consider any request from a weak MCA! So more for UMNO!

The DG of the Information Department recently stated that “A study showed that the majority of Malaysians are aware of the 1Malaysia concept but need more clarification to understand its meaning.”The same can be said about the callous murder of Altantuya’s. I can categorically say that the majority of Malaysians do have some conception that Najib is somehow connected in there somewhere – whether through Razak Baginda or directly with Altantuya on a personal level. All they want is for Najib to “clarify” his involvement so that they can understand the situation better and Najib can then can get on with the business of trying to Govern what is left of our country after over fifty years of the UMNO regime.

And then there is this Hishammuddin Hussein. As if he does not already have his hands full fielding the “will he or won’t he leave” IGP issue, mischievous elements from within the opposition are announcing that there are factions in UMNO hell bent on nominating Hishammuddin as number two to Najib – citing the fact that being first cousins, they would be able to work together without looking over each others shoulders for one to stab the other!

Say what you will but common sense does tell us all that for once somebody in UMNO is right! It is reasonable to assume that Najib must prefer to work with family rather than an outsider from Johor. And of course the people in Johor cannot complain when  Muhyiddin is pushed aside – after all Hishammuddin can claim that his roots are also from Johor! So with one foul sweep they not only give Najib a deputy that he can trust and still appease UMNO Johore! Killing one stone with two birds or is it being stoned while trying to kill the other one … or something to that effect lah – I am sure you can figure that out by yourself! Sometimes these UMNO people get confused themselves with all the twists and turns of the politics that they indulge in. But be rest assured that somewhere in there someone is getting eliminated or getting stoned … or maybe even getting stoned and getting eliminated! 

So from day to day UMNO dances to the drums that their warlords beat. UMNO thinks that it is savvy enough to change to the situation that surrounds them. From day to day they will do the necessary to react to the crisis that slowly but surely threatens to swallow them whole. From day to day UMNO prides itself as being able to respond to whatever internal crisis it finds itself regurgitating just so that they can keep their heads above water and make themselves as ready as they can to weather the next General Election. But here lies the irony of it all. As Thomas Jefferson said, “A politician looks forward only to the next election. A statesman looks forward to the next generation”. I can tell you that the only thing UMNO Statesmen look forward to now is a car!

Our country did not become what it is today overnight. When did people start dying while under police custody? When did individuals who stood up against injustice and for their beliefs start to be put away in prison without trail with impunity – at the whims and fancies of those in power?

“Once a government is committed to the principle of silencing the voice of opposition, it has only one way to go, and that is down the path of increasingly repressive measures, until it becomes a source of terror to all its citizens and creates a country where everyone lives in fear” – Harry S Truman.

When did those who were given the authority and the power to protect the people start to use these powers to extort money from the very people they are supposed to protect? When did our politicians start to make the enriching of their personal self a priority over their sworn duty to work for the people’s good? When did all these started happening?

Just as nightfall did not come all at once neither does all this come all at once. The time between night and day is dusk. The twilight of time when everything seems to remain unchanged and yet we know that day will turn into night just as surely as at dawn when we know that night will turn into day. Malaysia now finds itself at the dusk of a dark, dark future or at a dawn of a brand new day.

What do we do?

We must keep our anger. We must keep the fire inside us burning bright and true. True to our aspirations of a new tomorrow, our hope for a decent government led by a decent leader – and most important of all – our irrepressible belief in our ability to bring about this change through our right to vote in who we consider will do good for our country, our people.

Among other things we want “freedom of religion; freedom of the press; freedom of person under the protection of the habeas corpus; and trial by juries impartially selected” -Thomas Jefferson

The Rakyat has begun to stir! There is a common purpose within us that has given emphasis and urgency to PKR to be ready to form a capable and responsible government after the next election. We who elect these politicians understand the responsibility and the power that is in our hands on the occasion of the next GE. The source of political power is for us to give to whom we choose. We have the responsibility to elect decent, responsible and accountable leaders and more important we have the power to do so. We have in our hands the power to do good or evil and for once the politicians will sit quietly to await our verdict. We must use this power wisely.

UMNO will always say that the Malays will require UMNO to lead them. Lead them to where? To destruction? To the demise of the Malays as a potent force in politics, in commerce and in the governance of our own nation? For the Malays to be led to their own destruction as UMNO implodes? No the Malays no longer need UMNO to do anything for them.

The Malays can now tell UMNO that it is UMNO that needs the Malays for UMNO to survive. The question for the Malays now is why do we need UMNO anymore? Are they relevant to the development of the Malays as individuals, as a race? Does the numerical advantage of the Malays translate into a license for the Malays to award themselves “ketuanan Melayu”, give them license to ignore the rights of the minority that also call Malaysia their home – and more telling, does the numerical advantage of the Malays allow them the right to dictate and impose its will over the others who also call Malaysia their home? We Malays must ask ourselves these questions … and in answering them we need to consider the relevance of UMNO to the whole equation.

We now live in enlightened times. I do not simply advocate changes in our laws and our constitutions for the sake of change but we must keep pace with the human mind – with our capacity to think what is right and what is wrong. Equality and justice to everyone regardless of race, religion or politics. Honest government and the competent administration of our affairs – all these are the expectations and aspirations of too many of our people now to be ignored  – as it is now being ignored by UMNO.

The people have begun to stir. The rules of the games have altered. Race, religion and politics no longer dictate the pulse of our nation.

The last election was a rare occasion in our history when the people spoke with a deafening roar that the time for change has come. But UMNO did not listen. How do we make them listen at the next election? I will tell you how! Let our collective “NATIONAL WILL” emerge from our diversity of race, religion and politics – and let this “NATIONAL WILL” use the occasion of the next general election to bring into our history fairness and justice to one and all through the ouster of UMNO and its Coalition partners. We deserve nothing less! Do not forget – you are one, with me we are two. Together our “NATIONAL WILL” decides!