Averting a false sense of confidence

There is a quote by George Bernard Shaw about change, below:

Progress is impossible without change, and those who cannot change their minds cannot change anything.

If UMNO continue to reject change within it's fold and refuse to right the wrong beginning with the leaders themselves and down the line, by the words of the late British Prime Minister, Harold Wilson, UMNO will the architect of it's own decay. The only human institution which rejects progress is the cemetery.

Coming back to George Bernard Shaw's words, someone up there must make up their minds and assert leadership.

It is not enough to outline the party transformation by it's three phases, seven plan of actions suggested by members and four areas of focus to win elections.

We need to kick some ass.

For that, UMNO President and Prime Minister, Dato Seri Najib Tun Razak need to assert his leadership and make drastic measures, starting with major changes in cabinet and party.

The point is despite the internal problem of PKR, internal skirmishes within PAS and DAP, and probable leadership situation for Pakatan Rakyat, Tun Dr. Mahathir did not give a confident prediction for Barisan Nasional.

He predicted BN will not win the two third majority in Parliament despite believing BN will win back few lost states. This comment came on the back of a double win in Batu Sepi and Galas by-elections.

He may have factored in the trend of general election outcomes in several countries ending with hung Governments and the emergence of an NGO-based "Third Force."

If Dr Mahathir had not made that comment, UMNO leaders would be lost in their habit of blowing their trumpet to bodek the bosses with good news as though they are doing a good job. It usually end up giving a false sense of confidence.

The cyberwar, ceramah, media, and other channels have managed to shift voters sentiment from a Pakatan sympathiser to the middle. It is now left to UMNO to be seen and convinced by the voters that they have changed for the better.

For the bloggers, at least the pro-BN and UMNO bloggers, they should now be focusing on forcing the changes outlined by Najib to begin.

Some bloggers are too overwhelmed or syok sendiri tailing personalities instead of being independent.

If bloggers are not sounding the alarm bell, UMNO will go leka and the block of disenchanted voters from Pakatan Rakyat will not come out to vote or be hijacked by the upcoming “Third Force”.

In Najib's closing address at the UMNO General Assembly recently, he outlined four important criteria to win elections:

1. BN leadership, it's policies and vision must be accepted by the rakyat,
2. State level BN leadership, policies and vision is acccepted by the rakyat,
3. The party is accepted and comfortable to the rakyat, and
4. Winnable candidates.

On the last one, BN must explore an out-of-the-box approach. Criteria to hold position in the party, elected representatives and Ministers or Excos must be differentiated and possibly be distinguished.

Many position holders in UMNO run for election but are not sufficiently competent to participate in Parliamentary proceeding due to lack of knowledge or education, inability to do research, shallow debating points, and poor debating skills.

UMNO must explore into NGOs, professional bodies and amongst activists to fill-up post in Parliaments, State Asembly and Government. Party position does not translate to positions.

Najib had summarised the issues raised by party members in the debate into seven categories. These categories are useful plan of actions:

1. Party honour and interest supercede personal interest,
2. Be part of a team than faction,
3. Winning the hearts, mind and soul of the rakyat
4. Champions in the new media
5. The four million new voters
6. Zero internal problem
7. Give priority to the rakyat

That pretty much sums up Najib's first part of his plan of action to acknowledge the problems. His second part requires some self soul searching and solution finding. And the third and final part, begin the action plan.

Sincere as he is to have all members of the party to be part of the party reformation process, it is too time consuming. Najib need to take the bull by the horn because those with personal interest and guilty conscience wants to remain in-denial on the problems besieging the party.

The problem with the highest priority is to address and eradicate corruption amongst Ministers and political positions in Government, and money politics practise in the party by benevolent rich.

The judicial process to have MACC investigate allegations, develop a legal case and prosecute takes too long. It is still dependent on court decision. A reform of the whole political financing system as written in Tunku Aziz's book will take equally, if not longer process to change.

It is left to UMNO to have the political will to address it.

Repeating a line said to both PM and DPM, "heads must roll" in order to be convincing and reassuring to the voters.

UMNO themselves must take charge to arrest the problem at it's source and not pass the buck to MACC or be seen to use it to cleanse certain personalities.

In the last party election, the UMNO disciplinary process, which include the Disciplinary Hearing Committee, Disciplinary Committee and Supreme Council, seen to be too soft and seen to “let go” everybody.

Thus for this blog calling for the reopening of the money politics files of Khairy which include making public the withheld video evidences.

UMNO need to address it's public image. There are few ways, but the first and most important that Najib has to address will be to address the corrupted and incompetent faces in cabinet.

Something must be done about Zahid ,the walking self exploding suicide bomber for UMNO. He fumble and create controversy at every Parliamentary session.

If Najib fear of stirring political water to kick him out cabinet, then sent him to Ministries where a Malay medium, oral English deficient, and sastera graduate with questionable doctorate in communication can do without much technical, philosophical and thinking competency required.

For that matter, do something about dear old cousin. He is becoming a reflection of his old man; hesitant, indecisive and slow (or overly meticulous decision maker) and is not right for strategic positions.

Time is up for the likes of Nor Mohamad Yakcop, Khaled Nordin, Ismail Sabri and Rais Yatim.

Nor Yakcop's corrupt and insidious self interest ways have run it's limit. The man who broke the Bank Negara Malaysia should not be allowed in the first place to run the nation's treasure chest (literally in Malay forkhazanah).

It is in a state of mess and Khaznaah has become an organisation for young early has-beens to waste public money. After his departure, clean up the Government Losing Concerns (GLCs) of consultants pretending to be business managers, starting with Azman Mokhtar downward.

Khaled Nordin is not straight. Fire him and send in MACC to check account his financial matters. Ismail Sabri was not supposed to be tehre if not for Khairy.

Rais has contributed much but he has some looming problems. It is not just about the USP fund. He is also not keeping up with the times.

Najib has to rechannel the head of the wings away from cabinet post to focus on party work. That way, there is no reason to give Khairy any Ministerial or even Deputy Ministerial post.


Rosnah has to be dropped because Puteri is in an equally pathetic condition as Pemuda. As a leader, Rosnah should reunite the wing and stop the girlish bitching with her Deputy, Shahanim. Blame is also on Shahanim to stop bitching.

[Both you two fat slob can forget about me to listen to your bitching.]

The same applies to Shahrizat Jalil. Many view her as fine, but face fact. Enough backdoor Ministership. If a Minister cannot hold a seat, they have no business to be Minister. He or she has no locus standi.

No intention to disheartened the fine work of Wanita. In the first place, why must a woman be pigeon holed into Ministry of Welfare, Woman and Family?

Why not bring up Dr Zambery as Federal Minister and let's have the first Woman Menteri Besar? There is someone deserving.

Read more on cabinet reshuffle at Rocky Bru's and OutSyed The Box.

If some of the questionable faces remain in cabinet, they will come to represent the faces of UMNO. They will be going all over the country to speak and interact with the public and media.

This leads to the second suggestion to improve UMNO's image by determining the public face to represent and speak for the party. They must be someone clean and intelligible. Not Khairy for heaven sake. And it doesn't matter if he is Ketua Pemuda. He won it by corruption and coercion!

Some form of mechanism be instituted to restrict personality with reasonably good reputation and the untainted ones to speak for the party.

Another reason for the poor image on the Government is the slumbering mainstream media. Despite much work by Government and oppositions fumbling all over, media is not giving a fair n support for the Government.

New Straits Times seems to be too liberal and open that it is going left. It is heard to be playing footie with an anti-BN portal. Mainstream media editors must understand the game or get the boot.

She meant well and have good programs. But, how about helping us win
Najib's first general election?

Since we are on the subject of media, perhaps PM's wife, Datin Seri Rosmah could limit her public exposure in the media. Her good work should speak for itself.

And, too frequent coverage in the mainstream newspaper pages of less than four and prime time news is making her a lightning rod for criticism and ridicule by both opposition and public including our voters.

There are such serious oversight like allowing her to represent the PM in certain function during his sick leave. She is not in Government!

However, to be fair to her, most allegations against her such as the murder of Altantunya are unfounded, ill-intentioned and defamatory. The problem is it is too time consuming to counter back and dispel allegations against her.

Another issue is she need to avoid is to become the back channel access to the PM. Be fair to those queuing at the PM office. Leave it to the pro.


One problem for BN is MCA, Gerakan, SUPP and Chinese parties are seen to be indifferent and not committed toward working together to woe voters. Between them, MCA is more committed during elections, particularly Ng Yen Yen.

Gerakan is a beginning to be a liability and should allow them to leave, if they want. Tan Sri Koh Tsu Koon himself is reluctant to help BN to recapture Penang. It does seem he is giving a nod to DAP's victimising of non Chinese in Penang by his silence.

The Chinese recently have been giving generally the wrong messages to the political landscape of this countries.

In a recent Hua Zhou congress in Johor Baru, some provocative demands were voiced which is reminiscance of the Suqiu demands in 1999 and election dends of DAP and gerakan in 1969.

Many political observers felt the Chinese have tasted the blood of power in Perak and Penang and have turned racial and irrational.

If Chinese voters are bend on being unreasonable, despite the compromise the Government have made at the expense of the Malay voters, it spells disaster in the making and explosive future race relation.

When it arise, suspend democrasy until rationale is in place. UMNO leadership in Government must stop being in-denial and be resolute to pre-empt this potential explosive situation decisively.

This is not to say Chinese support is not needed. If not for the numbers, it is also to continue the multiracial tradition of BN. Perhaps it is time for UMNO to test fielding it's own non-Bumiputera candidates and toy the idea of direct membership into BN.


Before UMNO starts getting comfortable to claim the Malay votes are returning, go back to the mattress and ask the basic political question. Are the Malays economically happy?

Do they understand the implication of the various economic measures in those long list of fanciful acronyms?

Some may not understand and obediently support the Government. But when too many is missing, they will start to say UMNO is no better that those Pakatan Rakyat parties who outrightly say no more to Malay special previlages.

In case the Omar Ongs, Ganens and Melayu Liberal forgot their basic Maths, the Malay and Bumiputera is still 65% of the population.

With so many strange liberal ideology being injected, since the time of Abdullah Badawi, UMNO must not be too cocksure of its so-called economic reform. It is not fancy ideas, visions and slogans but pragmatic and effective policy that will get the Malay and Bumiputera attention.

The economic empowerment of the Malays and Bumiputeras remains the key to sustain Malay political support. It may not be affirmative action ala NEP but Government must not be complacent and lost in it's open, liberal and market determined policies.

UMNO must not be lulled to assume the political model of the poor and rural to be main supporters of BN will remain forever. With knowledge, education and digital access, they will become disenchanted lots in the long run.

UMNO will pay a heavy price for neglecting them now.

courtesy of Another Brick in the Wall