Pakatan can win by becoming Umno

We may to accept that corruption within politics is a fact of life and simply focus on making ABU happen.

COMMENT

In the beginning there was no need to compromise any of our principles. It was abundantly clear that Umno had to go.

Anything But Umno (ABU) covered all the base and put everything into one neat package that seems to cover all eventualities and answered all the questions we wanted to ask.

I thought our intentions were good – rid our country of a corrupt, arrogant and thieving government that had no saving graces bar one (at least for the Malays): the Malays were in control.

But even that saving grace became irrelevant when we were confronted by the massive scale of insane wealth accumulated by Dr Mahathir Mohamad’s family and the other Umno leaders whose main preoccupation with money politics made the business of government an appendage of secondary importance.

Today much has changed. Victory at the 13th general election for ANYBODY But Umno is a possibility.

Our intention to rid our country of a corrupt and arrogant Umno no longer seems to be a distant mirage.

Umno may lose the opportunity to form a government after the 13th general election because the forces marshalled against the party continues to grow just as surely as Umno falters due to the increasing public awareness of its abuses while in government!

Now we have begun to ask ourselves what was required within ABU to make this happen? And within ABU our focus was on Pakatan Rakyat.

Time for a compromise

Pakatan does not have the financial resources and logistical capability that Umno has.

How then can it go head-to-head against an Umno that has large armies and deep pockets?

Where was the money to come from for Pakatan? The same way it came for Umno?

Are money politics, corruption and abuse of political power for financial gain the way to go for Pakatan if it wanted to beat Umno at its own game?

What had once been impossible for us to contemplate now had to be considered if ABU is to become a reality.

The time for compromise has arrived.

We have to accept that corruption within politics is a fact of life and dismiss the morality of it all and simply focus on making ABU happen!

We have to accept that Pakatan will have a better chance to win the 13th general election by becoming Umno because there is no democratic way of avoiding the need for deep pockets because of the way politics is done in our country.

What Pakatan is doing is similar to the act of clearing a piece of land – it will take time, effort and money to do so but it made sense because of what we want to build on that cleared piece of land: a good home in which we could live and prosper.

A matter of balance

We need to do all that we can to rid ourself of Umno because of what we want to have in its place.

To rid itself of Umno, Pakatan must first become Umno in its ways!

Real change – change that we want – will hopefully come after Umno is gone!

For Pakatan, it is now a matter of balance. What is enough and what is too much?

Money does not grow on trees and it must be taken from the coffers within the states under the control of Pakatan and from those who will donate to our cause – and what is taken must not kill the goose that lays the golden egg.

I trust that common sense will prevail among Pakatan leaders who have control over this process and they will take responsibility to ensure that money taken will be used for the purpose of ridding ourselves of Umno. Do this and all will be well.

Let us accept what Pakatan has to do – become Umno to get rid of Umno.

Once done we will ensure that the business of good governance is begun.