Najib to blame for Umno blunder with Perkasa


By Mohd Ariff Sabri Abdul Aziz, The Malaysian Insider

If there is anyone to be blamed for the confusion about how Umno should treat Perkasa, it’s the Umno president. Umno has forfeited its role as spokesman of Malay leadership by default. First because the Umno president is giving out ambivalent messages.

He hasn’t given unqualified and absolute support to his foot soldiers. He is asking his people to distance themselves from Perkasa but undercuts this call by saying we are not at war with Perkasa.

And what does distancing mean exactly? It’s not a question of at war or at odds. It’s a case of stating clearly that Umno doesn’t share the same ideals of Perkasa.

It’s a case of saying that Umno has a better program and agenda than Perkasa will ever have. Right now, Umno hasn’t done that!  (As such) we are better off shutting up.

The core element of Perkasa’s struggle is the retention of NEP and of Malay rights. It is to this element that Umno leaders must argue. Unfortunately they don’t have the grey matter to argue against the idea.

Malays in general are not averse to reason and sensibility. It is a mark of mental and cerebral deficiency if you resort to name calling as a means to counter Ibrahim Ali’s Perkasa.

How would you argue against NEP? Start by asking what has NEP turned into at the hands of achievement- challenged Umno leaders?

* It stands for social immobility
* It stands for getting on in life by way of cutting corners, working less and wanting a free lunch.
* It stands for a system that does not match rewards with ability and hard work..
* It stands for a system that makes putting in less effort but getting more benefits, respectable.

Clueless Umno

But before that we have to state the following. If whatever privileges are already enshrined in our constitution- to wit article 153, then why do we need organizations like Perkasa to add validity to this article?

It suggests that we are not confident of our own constitution. Or Perkasa can clearly see that there is no longer Umno in the future. If there is no Umno then, the constitution can be changed. By the way article 153 provides for the Agung to ensure a few things pertaining to Malay privileges are protected.

To me then, it’s not article 153 that we should focus our attention to. It’s the paramount authority of the institution of the Agong as the final arbiter and veto power to ensure not only Malay privileges but to include other things as well such as how and why Petronas money is applied.

Two, Malays will forever be the majority group in this country. I find it impossible for Malays to forsake what is important to them regardless of whatever party they belonged to.

So where is the steam that pushes Perkasa? Ini pun orang Umno tak boleh debat.

This is the way we should argue why NEP must be abolished. It’s not that the Malays will drop dead if the NEP is abolished.

I have long held the view that rights are what we fought for and earned and not gotten gratuitously. This is what the NEP is instilling – that rights are a given because they are so. Also because its written in our constitution.

The validity of NEP doesn’t depend on article 153. That article provides for powers to be exercised by the Agung in matters concerning government positions, scholarships etc. even then, such powers are to be exercised with circumspect- the most important qualification being, in so far as they do not injure the legitimate rights of other Malaysian races.

NEP hogwash

I want to tell our Malaysian Chinese brothers, they are not the only ones pissed off with the NEP. The majority of Malays are equally angered. Because the NEP has turned out to actually be, a fight to control the turf by competing Malay elites, the superbumis, the puteras in the bumi.

 

 

READ MORE HERE.



Comments
Loading...