Pakatan, be prepared for the worst
The recent Umno general assembly ignored critical national issues and continued to ‘make other parties and races feel inferior so that they would have to crawl to Umno’ for help.
On the other hand, Najib Tun Razak, who succeeded Pak Lah in 2009, was initially uncertain on the kind of political system he would adopt, which explained the many flip-flop decisions on a number of issues which made Mahathir critical of his leadership.
Awang Abdillah, Free Malaysia Today
A statesman believes that political power comes from the people and that entrusted power should be used for the enrichment of the people and nation.
A dictatorial political leader, however, believes that political power can be won or usurped by force and used to establish an authoritarian government.
An undemocratic leader believes in the art of false leadership. The undemocratic leader bulldozes his way to secure political power from the people and will go to any length to maintain such power.
Very often the border-line between an undemocratic political system and that of a dictatorial system overlaps.
It is not surprising then for an undemocratic politician to walk through the corridors of power of an authoritarian government.
Such different kinds of leadership and political system are based on the value system a leader adopts as explained in my earlier articles.
In Malaysia, we have a number of political leaders who practise the undemocratic system where all kinds of malpractices are the hallmarks of their governance.
Over a period of time this bad system will become worse when it turns into an undemocratic-dictatorial government and then, if unchecked, could turn into a worst kind – the undemocratic-despotic rule.
BN has long been dysfunctional
Let’s look at Umno. The original true spirit of Umno – which existed in the party from 1955 till 1981 – which fought for the Malays and the nation is gone .
Lost, too, is the spirit of national unity and cooperation that held together the Barisan Nasional (BN) entity which built this nation from 1974 till 1981.
From 1981 till 2003 both these political entities were under the personal control of former premier Dr Mahathir Mohamad and his henchmen.
Umno controlled the political power in the country while the BN coalition has long suffered from political dysfunctional problems.
Hence, both the original Umno and BN can now be considered as a defunct party and entity respectively.
During this period, Malaysia was ruled by Mahathir’s undemocratic and authoritarian doctrine.
Unlike a despotic rule where actions taken are more arbitrary in nature, an undemocratic-authoritarian rule, though bad, is more systematic and established.
Even in retirement and after handing over the reins of the nation’s administration to his chosen successor Abdullah Ahmad Badawi (Pak Lah), Mahathir wanted control.
He wanted Pak Lah to walk the corridors of power wielding an undemocratic-dictatorial system.
Pak Lah resisted. He failed as a leader not because he did not continue the Mahathir dictatorial legacy – it would be suicidal to do so – but because he did not pick the good value system and put it to work.
Najib wins Mahathir’s approval
On the other hand, Najib Tun Razak, who succeeded Pak Lah in 2009, was initially uncertain on the kind of political system he would adopt, which explained the many flip-flop decisions on a number of issues which made Mahathir critical of his leadership.
But he seems to have redeemed himself in Mahathir’s eyes with his stand in the recent 62nd Umno general assembly.
Najib, it now appears, firmly believes in and is determined to pursue Mahathir’s undemocratic-dictatorial doctrine.
Hence, Mahathir now fully backs Najib and had openly declared that the prime minister is on the right track.
However, unlike the Mahathir government – which, although undemocratic and authoritarian in nature, was backed by systematic policies and strode in economic development – Najib’s administration has nothing to offer.
Najib’s government is best described as an undemocratic-despotic one where flip-flops and arbitrary actions are the order of the day.
At the recent Umno general assembly, “Najib the Great” continues his agenda to hit hard at Pakatan Rakyat in order to win back the lost Malay support.
He invoked history, race and religious rhetoric and launched personal and vicious attacks on the opposition leaders.
Najib did not bother to beg for the support of other races because people like him and Mahathir believe in the unsinkable power of Umno as long as the said doctrine is in place.
Part of this doctrine is to make other parties and races feel inferior so that they would have to crawl to Umno for help.
