Winnable candidates: What’re the criteria?

Finding the 'ablest and most dedicated' candidate committed to the cause of the country is not an easy task, especially in Umno.

COMMENT

I am gratified to hear one of the latest statements by the prime minister, who told a recent buka puasa gathering in Pangsapuri Seri Perantau that “we want whoever rules this country to be elected according to the true wishes of the people”.

It felt good hearing him say that he was looking for winnable candidates.

The search for winnable candidates must be part of the overall strategy – the positioning of the leadership committed to a plan to make a high quality government with high quality governance.

But, first, it is necessary to frame the question right: What is the purpose of the search for winnable candidates?

The answer that springs to mind seems to be that the search for winnable candidates is to create a winnable political party that can make this government a winnable government and therefore a winnable country.

Which brings us to the next question – just what are winnable candidates?

It can only mean one thing – finding the ablest and most dedicated who are committed to the cause of the country.

It’s a search for leadership material committed to a plan aimed at making this government a good government with good governance.

Surely this must be the foundation of a leadership committed to transforming the country.

Clear guidelines needed

Transformation must begin with the search for leadership material to achieve a quality of government with equally high standard of governance.

It must never be the search of winnable candidates as in the artful party operative who can work the crowd into ecstasy or emotional convulsions.

We have these duds running around by the dozen – those who prey upon ethnic insecurities and emotions and those who prey openly on the religiosity of the masses.

These are never nor can ever be winnable candidates.

As early as last year, Umno president Najib Tun Razak spoke of the desire to find winnable candidates.

If he goes to the Umno ground, every incumbent “ketua bahagian” (division chief) and sitting office-bearers will say their areas are winnable provided it is they who stand as candidates.

Unless you come out with clear guidelines on the criteria of winnable candidates, the phrase just becomes an excuse for so many things by so many people.

The writer is a former Umno state assemblyman and a FMT columnist. This excerpt is from his blog sakmongkolak47.