The tragedy that is Umno
MARIAM MOKHTAR, HORNBILL UNLEASHED
Umno is full of Malays who are afraid to say “No”. “No” to corruption. “No” to power abuse. “No” to seeking as well as giving patronage.
Perhaps one can add, “No” to Mahathir, “No” to Najib.
Umno has been in power for over 54 years. Not all Malays wish to be in Umno, but Umno does need all of the Malays for it to be a potent force. Today, Umno refuses to accept that Malays are abandoning Umno.
Around the time of independence, Umno may have had people of quality within its ranks. Today, it is alleged that loyalty is determined by money. Is that what Umno think the Malays are proud of? That their allegiance is easily bought? Umno strips Malays of self-worth and self-respect.
Instead of using intelligent discourse and logic to dissect any issue, Umno uses sexual allegations or character assassinations, to blacken the reputation of members of the opposition. Opposition leaders had their characters or their children’s character tarnished with untrue allegations in pro-Umno blogs.
Gutter politics are prevalent in Umno and was witnessed during the last Umno general assembly. Name calling and snide insinuations seemed to be the order of the day. These men and women, who are supposed to be leaders and pillars of Malay society, are a disgrace to themselves and the nation.
In Umno, men who were guilty of sexual acts, against their hired help or against minors, talk about the sexual behaviour of other people, as if they led blameless lives. Those who are guilty of money politics tried to distract attention by calling on opposition members to resign. What happened to accountability and responsibility?
These men and women, talk about religion as if they were themselves, free of sin. These same people use any opportunity to say that the failure of the Malays is because of the dominance of the non-Malays.
In education, for instance, the Malays are given the best chances for obtaining a higher education. Things are made deliberately easy for them. The undesirable side-effect is that they and their children grow up lacking aspiration and ambition.
Malays who wanted to improve themselves by learning English are now considered traitors. Many Malays who study overseas have a poor grasp of English. Many who were not allowed to mix with other races at home, found great difficulty adapting to life with non-Malays.
Is this what Umno leaders want of the Malay? For them to be cocooned and their minds closed to what is happening in the global arena?
Tunnel vision
Malays have lost the respect of the other races and nationalities. Worldwide, people are breaking down the walls which prevent intermingling, but not, it appears, in the Malay race.
Malays have tunnel vision when it comes to understanding social mores. They see non-Malays and non-Muslims as a threat to their very existence. They feel that they are far superior to the other races or nationalities, and their belligerence prevents them from accepting that others are superior to them in many fields; be it education, business, social integration and civility.
