They are still not happy with Umno

A field trip to Tanjung Lumpur in Kuantan on January 21 to gauge the people’s perception on the aid given to the poor by the government and their appraisal of UMNO politics was quite inspiring.

It was found that the aid recipients are aware that the RM100, RM200, RM500, RM5000 now given to the people and the salary increase for government servants before the next general election are all from taxpayers’ money. The people are cognisant of the fact that the money distributed here does not come from UMNO or Barisan Nasional (BN). It comes from the hard-earned taxpayers’ money.

Also, it was found that the recipients could not be easily convinced by all those ‘generous tricks’ and make them vote for UMNO or BN in the next general election. “Yes, I received RM500. It’s the people’s money. I’m now indebted to the people, not UMNO or BN,” said a 56-year-old aid recipient in Kuantan. When asked if he would vote for BN in the coming general election he coyly replied, “No. I will not.”

When asked if the RM500 was sufficient to make ends meet, he replied, “This is too little. They make more and spend more but give us pittance. I will take this money, as I am poor. It’s the people’s money. I’m grateful to the people but not UMNO.”

Another 58-year-old aid recipient, a farmer from Peramu, queried, “I know that I can do nothing much with this amount. The BN government could give a RM250 million loan to a minister's family. I only have a few animals in my small shed. Can I get a RM10,000 loan to help me rear more cattle?”

People on ‘top’ are enriching themselves

Most of those disgruntled recipients were generally expecting more from UMNO. They generally felt that they were not given enough when people on ‘top’ were enriching themselves and spending huge amounts of taxpayers’ money on shopping sprees. “The poor have got no choice. Forget about shopping sprees. The costs of living is now unbearable. The government is not doing much to bring down inflation. Prices of almost everything keeps on rising,” grumbled a 50-year-old recipient from Tanjung Lumpur.

It appears like despite all the pomp and hype on the ‘free lunch’ for those who earn less in terms of income many aid recipients are not indebted to UMNO or BN. They seem to interpret that UMNO or BN does not generate money for the country. But it’s the people – the ordinary people out there who are slogging hard to pay taxes to the government to sensibly manage the country.

The country’s current debt is 437.2 billion – 52 7 percent of the GDP. This will reach RM1trillion in 2020. In all probability the country can go bankrupt before 2017 at the rate it is borrowing. Most government agencies including the civil service are not productive enough. Almost more than half of government expenditure is on the bloated civil service of 1.4 employees. And just before the 13th general election the incumbent government is disbursing money like ‘water’ to the people to favour them in the coming general election. The people see no fiscal accountability in the management of the country. When too much money is circulating without much economic productivity, spending is not controlled and there is no economic productivity it will only lead to high inflation. Money will end up buying less.

But then, despite all the ‘generosity’ by UMNO, the people are still not happy with the government. “In fact the approach by Pakatan governed states is just the reverse. Eliminate corruption at all levels and this translates into more savings to be given to the people in the form of 'social responsibility programmes,” commented a former UMNO branch leader in Kuantan.

He added, “With money saved, the people can be given grants or loans to generate their income, better social amenities and a sustainable physical environment. If the whole country is saved from corrupt practices, it will translate into a better reward for all Malaysians.” There were many aid recipients of this special aid from UMNO-BN who felt that the DAP government in Penang and Pakatan government in Selangor have done more to the people than BN for the past four years.

Surprisingly, many senior recipients were also aware of the nitty-gritty of Malaysian politics. When asked how they knew so much about what was going on in the country, a 60-year-old aid recipient had this to say: My children and relatives are educated and they ‘tutor’ me on what is happening in this country. I trust them more than the government media or UMNO leaders.”

Apparently, educated Malay youth who work in the cities go back and convince their parents to vote for change. All scandals and misconduct involving politicians and their spouses are exposed to the rural folk in order to convince them that UMNO and BN leaders only want to stay in power to enrich themselves further.

Real issues facing the country

Unbelievably, many aid recipients had several unpleasant things to say about the government . A 53-year-old unemployed jibed, “UMNO has no idea how to deal with issues confronting the nation. All they can think of is stirring issues of race, religion and the innocent Malay monarchy in order to demonise the non-Malays. This is merely to garner votes from the Malays. But the people are aware that UMNO leaders are not sincere.”

Most Malaysians, in truth, are sentient that the issues of Malaysian politics are not of race and religion as always made up by UMNO. The real issues facing the country are corruption, abuse of taxpayers’ money, cronyism and scandals. When the society is evolving to become more pragmatic and rational, UMNO is still languishing in hypocrisy. “UMNO is a living cell filled with odium for other races and religions. UMNO just cannot think beyond race and religion in their brand of politics. This will be the cause for their downfall,” said a businessman in Sungai Soi.

He added, “ UMNO has only race and religion to talk about. To them, all national problems and solutions revolve around race, religion and Malay royalty. So, at best, they come out with distorted and hare-brained solutions to issues confronting our country,” said a retired government servant.

Surprisingly, the perception of UMNO among some of these aid recipients was not favourable. When a 46-year-old housewife was asked what they thought of UMNO, she snapped, “UMNO’s lifeline revolves around race and religion. They also make use of the Malay royalty to their advantage to survive. But they lack sincerity. Beyond this, UMNO has nothing to showcase.”

It was found that even the rural Malays are mindful that UMNO have not done that much since Independence to uplift the standard of living among them. They sense that the rich are becoming richer and the poor poorer. The gap is widening.

On DAP and the Chinese

When the issue of UMNO bashing of the Chinese was raised, some expressed unhappiness with UMNO’s rhetoric on this matter. “We need a better political model for the country. Why must UMNO go round demonising the DAP Chinese when they are in a 100-percent Malay crowd.? A good political model for the country would be where all races are able to live together without any ill-feeling towards each other. The Chinese has brought economic prosperity for the country. Groom them to become good Malaysians if you think they are ungrateful instead of demonising them,” remarked an old retired Malay school teacher who earns a RM750 pension.

Even the rural folk seemed to be aware that the country is not in safe hands. There are leakages of the national coffers, Petronas money is not accounted for in the Parliament and EPF (Employees Provident Fund) money is being used for questionable business deals, money is wasted on projects that have become white elephants … the Auditor General’ annual reports them tell all. UMNO has let down the people. A aid-receiving pensioner retorted, “I do not know when Malaysians will ever realise and accept that this country should be governed by people with the best economic acumen and are competent in managing the national resources with honesty and integrity,”

The people know that many Malays have abandoned UMNO . They realise that the party is not earnest in helping the Malays, as it has been turned into a vehicle to enrich a handful among them who commands power. Unlike PAS, UMNO favour demonising the Chinese in their crowd. The people have not heard of any DAP leader demonising the Malays or Islam in a Chinese crowd or in the open. “I've not come across open resentment by the DAP against the Malay race, religion or royalty. So, this is just bare rhetoric by distressed UMNO to scare the Malays,” said an ex-UMNO man who has now joined DAP.

It looks like UMNO is worried that more Malays are now becoming members of DAP. Many educated Malays are now part of DAP. For political manoeuvre, UMNO has no choice but to drum into the rural Malay minds that the DAP Chinese are a threat to Malay dominance, religion and the royalty. But not all Malays are falling into UMNO’s mucky trick. It has been obvious that to get Malay support UMNO plays ‘a big drama’. They will demonise the Chinese when they talk to a 100-percent Malay crowd. As expected, MCA and Gerakan will remain silent for fear that they will not be in UMNO’s good book. In fact, it is all the race card that UMNO is trying to play to get the support of the Malays at the expense of other races.

UMNO fears more

UMNO is trying to incite fear that the Chinese will control the country if UMNO loses in the coming election. They fail to understand that a Chinese is a Chinese whether he or she is in MCA, Gerakan, DAP, PKR or PAS. “But we are all Malaysians, born and bred here. We don’t go round begging for aid. We work hard for a living. We are building the nation for you all. With the wealth we generate we pay tax and the government helps other races with it. Demonising DAP Chinese is just like demonising all the Chinese in the country. We will never forgive UMNO for this,” stressed a retired Chinese school teacher at the aid-giving ceremony.

UMNO has tried to entice for DAP leaders to quit the party to no avail. Instead more and more Chinese, Malays and Indians are looking at DAP as a better political party than UMNO. All races are seeing a better Penang under the DAP-led Pakatan government. More Malays are benefitting in Penang under DAP than only a handful of UMNO cronies who were more favoured during UMNO-BN government in the past. In truth, Penang Malays are generally comfortable with the DAP government. The poor and senior citizens are also given aid.

“DAP has managed to put a halt to all the misconduct of UMNO-BN within four years coming into power in Penang. Pakatan has done the same in Selangor to the annoyance of the greedy cronies of UMNO-BN in the past 54 years,” said a Malay senior citizen who receives aid from the present Penang government.

The DAP and Pakatan leaders have proven their worth as leaders of all races after undergoing all sort of mistreatment, intimidation, incarceration and the lure of money to hop party. DAP and Pakatan have proven to be fair and reliable to all races compared to UMNO without denying the Indigenous of their special position and the sanctity of the monarchy.

DAP is not a Chinese party but a party for all Malaysians just like Gerakan. When Gerakan has lost its glamour, DAP has made it in Malaysian politics. UMNO fears more when more Malaysians begin appreciating DAP as a party for all, irrespective of race or religion.

Malays are changing

“Give us all the money and we will accept it. But which party we will vote is still a secret. If we don’t vote for BN they will say that we are ungrateful. But it is one’s right to choose whichever party to vote. I have made up my mind,” said a 61-year-old aid recipient who lives with his son-in-law. It looks like despite all the goodies given by UMNO to the people using taxpayer’s money, it has not really won the hearts of the people to vote for them. Give them the goodies but these will not translate into votes for UMNO or BN.

This touch-and-go or one-off gifts in the form of cash are actually for UMNO-BN to garner votes for the coming general election. UMNO want the poor to do them a favour which the latter may hesitate. Even the rural and urban poor realise that there is an alternative party to Barisan Nasional. “Comes the next election, if the constituency race is between UMNO and PAS, PAS can gain significant votes. If it's between MCA and DAP, DAP will triumph and if the contest is between Gerakan and any other parties in Pakatan, Gerakan will lose,” commented a former UMNO member in Kuantan.

The race card played by UMNO will not favour the party anymore. “The Malays are changing their mindset. They do not consider DAP a threat to them. In 2008 they voted for change and five states fell to Pakatan. The next general election may witness the fall of BN. This will lead to a transformation in this nation,” said a political observer from a local university.

Malaysia Chronicle