Umno counting on special groups to strengthen weak name
By The Malaysian Insider
KUALA LUMPUR, Oct 17 — Former civil servants are Datuk Seri Najib Razak’s latest target as supporters of his Umno, the rulling Barisan Nasional (BN) lynchpin that is losing its lustre among the electorate.
The Prime Minister yesterday addressed the new Umno Club for retired senior government officers in a dialogue at his official Seri Perdana residence, following meetings in recent weeks with other groups such as the Malayalees and Telegus.
He also recently met the Ex-Servicemen Association, who pointed out that only 4,350 of the 74,205 ex-soldiers were registered to vote.
The meetings and the benefits dished out in Najib’s Budget 2011 proposals is seen as a move to garner as much support as possible before the next general elections, which is widely thought to be held in the first half of 2011.
“It looks like an election budget but we need to get more support first. And the Umno president is doing that,” a party warlord told The Malaysian Insider.
Najib’s talk with the Umno club is the culmination of some eight months of work by its pro-tem chairman Tan Sri Aseh Che Mat who has apparently found it difficult to recruit members.
Several senior government servants and diplomats who retired recently have refused Aseh’s invitation for the dialogue in Seri Perdana, reflecting Umno’s uphill task to regain support even among the civil service.
There are some 1.2 million civil servants in the country and Najib had tossed them a one-off special assistance payment of RM500 in December 2010 for those in Grade 54 and below, the same amount he gave all civil servants as Hari Raya Aidilfitri bonus this year.
Najib, who is the Finance Minister, said the government did not give a bonus as in previous years as it would cost RM3.1 billion, which is seen as excessive in the RM212 billion Budget 2011.
Of the total budget this year which is 2.8 per cent above Budget 2010, RM162.8 billion is for operating expenses while RM49.2 billion is for development. The government had also given more allowances for soldiers and ex-soldiers apart from raising maternity leave to 90 days and increasing funeral expenses payout from RM1,000 to RM3,000 for each death.
Despite the budget increase, Najib is confident it will generate growth topping seven per cent for 2011, over the forecast six per cent for 2010. He has also said deficit will be reined from 5.6 per cent in 2010 to 5.4 per cent in 2011.
He told the ex-civil servants yesterday that Umno will have to introduce a new political model to ensure it continued leading the nation. The party and its BN allies lost their customary two-thirds parliamentary majority and four more states in Election 2008.
“The reason why people are rejecting political parties that have contributed a lot over the years is because of parties that did not change. They are seen as rigid and not dynamic.
“However, if we change and are seen as a fresh and dynamic party, God willing the people’s support for us will continue into the future,” he told the ex-civil servants.
