‘Remember Onn Jaafar’s ‘betulkan orang Melayu’ drive’
The Umno leadership today comprise ‘sly politicians intent on making hay while it shines’ with little reflection of the ‘motivation and inspiration’ associated with 1946 Malays.
What these examples show is that, by and large, the first generation Umno leaders were actually of selfless material, enjoying the trappings of power indeed while in office, but taking none after they leave.
Mohd Ariff Sabri Aziz, Free Malaysia Today
When former Prime Minister Tun Abdul Razak Hussein died, he had little money. His only liquid asset of any merit was the Magsaysay Award.
He didn’t have enough funds to finance his medical bills in England and after he died the government had to step in to give his wife a home for her and her children.
When Tunku Abdul Rahman died he too had no money. A few times he was saved financially by former Sabah Chief Minister Tun Mustapha Harun.
Now let’s take the case of a more plebian leader – Khir Johari. When he was alive and in power, all sorts of accusations were hurled at him.
I remember looking at a picture of him and his wife donning traditional Chinese costumes wishing the Chinese, Happy New Year.
It was probably done in good sport.
Towards the end of his life, every one found out he had only one house in Bukit Damansara.
And the rights to that house were disputed. In the end he had to leave the house and move into an apartment where he eventually died.
What these examples show is that, by and large, the first generation Umno leaders were actually of selfless material, enjoying the trappings of power indeed while in office, but taking none after they leave.
Different material
Present day Umno leaders however are a world apart. The majority are loud in every sense of the word. This difference can only be explained by one factor.
Umno has been taken over by leadership of a different material who are conditioned by different experiences and having done less service to the public motives.
This may be a shocking admission – but I hope the present day Umno leadership is aware of the general perception that is getting stronger by the day – that present day Umno leadership consists of a bunch of sly politicians intent on making hay while it shines.
But certainly, what we could expect is to have those motivations and ideals behind the Umno of 1946, refined and enhanced.
From closed mind to openness, from debilitating traditionalism to modernism. These must the founding principles behind the ‘betulkan orang Melayu’ drive of Onn Jaafar.
Sad to say, Umno must bear the primary responsibility over the more or less unchanged mental landscape of Malays in general.
Umno alone is responsible for the regressive ideas of Malays.
If they have been sleeping over eons, they now have been given sleeping pills to slumber along while the world passes them over.
