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Saturday, June 4, 2011

Umno's power over the Malays is slipping

Umno's power over the Malays is slipping

The recent report from the renowned Economist Intelligence Unit is something that should make UMNO sit up. Rural voters may continue to support the ruling Malay party but not the urban. The liberal middle-class is rejecting UMNO, and this is its greatest fear.

What is happening to the Malays in this country is the billion-ringgit questionmark. Malays actually comprise of many nationalities cross-bred to form the Malay community. Finding a true Malay born and bred in this country is longer easy.

Malays have some roots from Indonesia, and these are spread out over the islands. There also some of Siamese descent, and some even go as far as the Yunnan province in China, from where they migrated to this country hundreds of years ago. The so-called 'Mamaks' also make up a sizeable number and are seen to be an economic success in comparison with other Malays. Today, a Malay is categorized simply as anyone who is Muslim, speaks Malay, practises Malay customs and if one parent is a Malay. And UMNO is a political organization sworn to protect the Rights of the Malays.

Rural Malays form the bulk of support for UMNO, with close to 70 per cent residing in the interiors of the country. The rural Malays are a simple folk, completely at ease with their surroundings, a farmer’s community, working the land to feed their families. Contented with the fruits of their labour as long as it provides two meals on the table, they are a simple lot thankful to the Almighty for their existence.

With little or no development, the villages are untouched by the ravages of modernization and many continue to lead a laid-back lifestyle. The lower standard of living and much slower pace of lifestyle breeds contentment and the rural folk live from day to day without much thought for their future. The lack of development has not only preserved the simplicity and untouched lifestyle, and the lack of entertainment has led the rural folks to turn their attention to Religion for solace and satisfactrion. Malay culture is intertwined with religion and practised on a daily basis.

With the lack of Internet, and other information media, they rely chiefly on government-controlled mainstream media for news on the outside world. The energetic youths in these villages spend much of their free time, catching birds, fishing in river creeks, and are obsessed with handphone SMS’ses and motorbikes. The adventurous migrates to the cities where they are enthralled with a materialistic world. Many who make it in the cities seldom return other than make a yearly pilgrimage to visit families and friends.

Neglected by the government, their hand to mouth existence is actually akin to poverty which preserves their meekness, and also feeds their feelings of anxiety about being able to contest successfully in a business environment. Their innocence, ignorance and Spartan lifestyle are subjected to daily doses of Malay dramas on television and its constant bombardment of government propaganda. This has helped the BN government to retain 'control' over their minds and past efforts by the Pakatan Rakyato infuse an alternative opinion was met with failure.

Urban Malays are usually Middle Class, white collared executives or successful businessmen. They come from an urban environment with better education, higher living standards, and access to information via Internet and electronic media. They exude a wider freedom of expression compared to the Rural Malays. With access to the modern world, Urban Malays are more open, and more accepting of cultural practises other than their own as compared to their rural counterparts.

They are also more critical of the government’s perceived injustice and lopsided policies. With open minds that soak in a variety of opinions like a sponge, urban Malays are fully aware of the shortcomings of the BN government.

They have come to realize that the so-called Bumiputra Rights is nothing but a smoke screen by UMNO to hold on to the Malay vote. Most urban Malays have to stand on their own two feet, working their hearts out to claim a piece of the economic pie. None of the Special rights are of any value to these Malays who had to sweat it out. Realisation that these rights only benefited the UMNOputras through the NEP has made the Malays very disappointed.

The continued bragging by the government that Malays have gained from their Special rights makes it more frustrating, as non-Malays continue to taunt and sneer at them for having a crutch mentality.

As for the rural Malays, they too are on the far end of the scale as these Special Rights do not trickle down to them either. Most do not even know what their Special Rights are. Too shy to question the government, they continue to eke out their daily existence from whatever they can lay their hands on. Contented with a measly take-home pay, they derive satisfaction from being able to put two meals on the table for their families and loved ones.

The practise of easy Hire Purchase loans by the government to purchase furniture, electronics and household items has also put many of the rural Malays in debt up to their necks. Their ability to pay back is in doubt and this has become a cancerous genome, eating away at their future. Constantly, in debt they go about their lives in constant limbo.

In conclusion, the rural heartlands will still be UMNO’s support base. Totally oblivious to the political wrangling around them, they hold sway to anything given to them as gifts. With heartfelt thanks for any goodies, cash or kind thrown at them, and their mundane routine enlivened by visiting VIPs promising development, the government has been very successful in cultivating a future pool of voters that will ensure UMNO’s continued dominance in the political scene.

The difficulty that Pakatan faces in making inroads are clearly seen. Rural community chiefs ensure that the Opposition camps are unwelcome or barred from entering the heartlands and the rural land schemes, where the power base is guarded by tribal chiefs and penghulus with undivided loyalty to the current government.

However, PAS, an Islamic party, has managed to make inroads in many rural areas. PAS members in the rural areas, continue to enjoy close rapport with the rural folk, ensuring little support trickles down to the BN. So far, PAS is only popular amongst the elderly folk, while the youth shun them for perceived religious suffocation of their freedom.

But as Pakatan Rakyat, continues to make inroads into the rural heartlands due largely to PAS support, an awakening amongst the rural folk has begun, with the villagers starting to question the government. The tide of support has changed, tilting toward the Opposition.

Of course, UMNO which has counted solely on the Malay vote, is disappointed by this development. UMNO has recently diverted its attention away from the non-Malays which they see as a lost cause in their struggle to maintain the Malay voter support base.

Unable to rally enough Malay support, the conservative Malays have embarked on a series of nasty controversies to destabilize racial unity. The sole goal is to unite the Malays against a common enemy.

As the General Election draws closer, the country will continue to witness more destabilizing efforts to the peace and harmony in this country. BN will surely unveil their trump cards soon.

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