Without bias, is it not true to say Umno's days are over and that people hate the party

The truth is no race in this world is not politically or ideologically divided. It portends well for a two-party system in Malaysia when there is a symphonic split amongst the Malays as is the case with the Chinese and Indians. This will fortify the need for multi-racial parties’ crusade on the basis of social justice and not on race-based policies.

Trying to deceive the Malays

What Malaysians are witnessing is a political evolution that is taking place in the country – the people are getting fed up with race-based politics.

But is it true that the Opposition under Anwar Ibrahim no longer cares for the Malays and Islam as claimed by UMNO?  UMNO is again trying to deceive the Malays.

It is a blessing that a few states are now under Pakatan rule and the people have obviously seen how these states are being contentedly governed. Not only the Malays are happy, the Chinese and Indians too are equally satisfied with the way these states are governed.

The people see no Malays discriminated against in any of these states. They see the same with the Chinese and Indians. The Malays are helped in these states as they constitute the majority poor. The poor Indians and Chinese too are not being neglected. Unlike UMNO, the Opposition does not believe in racial politics. All citizens in these 4 states are given fair chance to lead a happy and decent life.

By subscribing to a party other than UMNO it does not mean that these new Malay leaders “no longer care for the Malays”.  Evidently, not only the poor Malays are being taken care of in Pakatan states, but also the poor Indians and Chinese are not being neglected.

UMNO is wrong to look at the Opposition from its jaundiced political point of view.  When UMNO is a race-based party, PKR and DAP are multi-racial parties. Even PAS for that matter sitting on a “religious” platform has invited all Muslims and non-Muslims into its fold.  PAS even has a non-Muslim wing that is aligned to the party.

Leaders in UMNO have become filthy rich

PAS does not believe in race-based approach to politics as this is not in line with Islamic teachings. PAS also has shown to all Malaysians that though it is an Islamic party the rights and privileges of non-Muslims have not gone unheeded. Kelantan is an exemplary state under PAS rule. The non-Muslims in these states are generally happy with the government.

UMNO undoubtedly started as a party that cared for the Malays but it has since evolved into a party that cares for the elite among them.

The NEP (New Economic Policy) as formulated is a good policy. It speaks of the eradication of poverty and the removal of the identification of race with vocation. But today the country sees a few Malays become rich and the majority of them living in poverty, together with the poor Indians and Chinese.

There are people who scramble to become UMNO leaders not to help the Malays but to help themselves with opportunities. It is not surprising to see many leaders in UMNO have become filthy rich when over 60 percent of Malays are still lingering in the boondocks of Malaysian economic sector.

Malays see UMNO failing

The Malays have evaluated UMNO enough. They have evaluated the 4 states under the Opposition. When the Malays see UMNO failing them they see Pakatan giving them a new hope. The Malays do not have to go far to evaluate the good work of Pakatan. They have for the past 4 years seen the huge success in Selangor and Penang.

DAP, PKR and PAS have together steered the states steadily without neglecting the Malays or any other race. Neither have they neglected Islam or any other religion. The fact remains that Pakatan is still a Malay-dominated party. DAP, on its part, is now seen by the people as a party that has high integrity.

“It’s only a matter of time that Malaysians would see DAP being dominated by Malays,” commented a political science lecturer in a local university. “The Muslims need not have to worry about DAP as a party. The interests of the Malays and Muslims have not been neglected by these parties as seen in the states under them,” he added.

It is akin to committing suicide if Pakatan were to neglect the interests of the poor Malays or Islam when they form the majority in both Pakatan and Barisan Nasional. The difference is UMNO focuses on race agenda; Pakatan seeks social justice for all Malaysians irrespective of race or religion without neglecting the Malays and Islam.

There is thus no necessity for the Malays to bow to UMNO and evaluate the motive of any Opposition leaders in the country. The Opposition has no intent to demean the Malays or Islam. Both the coalitions are bound by the Constitution.

People hate UMNO

Pakatan naturally has the obsession to take Putrajaya after seeing the many successes in Pakatan ruled states.  Pakatan state governments – within their means – have fulfilled almost all their promises to the people in these states with little help from the UMNO-controlled Federal Government. A lot more could be done if Putrajaya comes under Pakatan.

Fifty-one percent of the voters had expressed their support for Pakatan in the 2008 General Election. This is not a minority group of voters. Antics of DAP and PAS? This has not happened at all as the people are seeing harmony in the four states under Pakatan for the past 4 years.  Seemingly, the coalition is there to stay no matter what UMNO says.

UMNO is still encapsulated under a coconut shell. Little does UMNO realise that its politics of race is already out of trend. The country is already gradually shifting from race- to ideology-based approach to politics. So many young and capable leaders can be found in the Opposition today and many professionals find it more at ease to be with the coalition. They believe in a united Malaysia.

The success of BERSIH 3.0 rally on April 28 2012 is testimony to the fact that all races in the country can work in harmony to achieve a united Malaysia.

When people hate UMNO they do not hate the Malays. They hate the unbridled corruption under UMNO, financial mismanagement and leakages, lavishness, cronyism and deceit. They just hate the attitude of some arrogant leaders in UMNO. They hate the leadership that has not done enough to force out those within UMNO and BN who are corrupt. They see a lack of political will on UMNO’s part to rein in all the abuses found at all levels of the government and the private sector.

Not against Malays

There is no reason for DAP to hate the Malays or Muslims.  DAP, or for that matter the Opposition, is only against those Malays who are dishonest in UMNO and those who have failed the nation by squandering the nation’s wealth. DAP supports the honest Malays and Muslims as can be seen in the states under Pakatan today.

“The Malays and Muslims see DAP working together with the Malays and Muslims from PAS and PKR to bring progress to these states,” said a political observer.  “Thus the “mutiny” now is not against Malays but UMNO and corruption. It has nothing to do with race or religion,” he added.

When a Malay squanders billions of ringgit of taxpayers’ money, must the non-Malays just ignore this for fear that they will be branded as anti-Malay or anti-Islam? Of course Malaysians cannot expect any decree on this wrongdoing from those “ulama” on government’s payroll. The only exposure and condemnation of UMNO’s wrongdoing must come from the Opposition.

UMNO is actually exploiting on racial and religious sentiments to hoodwink the innocent Malays. To some UMNO leaders and members “the non-Malays do not have the rights to criticize an UMNO Malay even if the latter is corrupt to the core”.

UMNO is weak and fragmented today not because of DAP, PAS or PKR. It’s UMNO’s own doing that has brought it down. UMNO is fast losing grip on the Malays and this has caused the community to be further split.

It’s the monopoly of power that UMNO has tasted for the past 54 years that has made the leaders become arrogant. They go on a denial mode each time their wrongdoings are exposed by the whistle-blowers and this will be instinctively supported by their media. They expect the Opposition not to touch on their wrongdoings. They are quick to brand the non-Malays or the Opposition as anti-Malay or anti-Islam when this happens.

This is the false pride of UMNO and this is also the cause of its unpopularity today.

Malays may one day form the majority in DAP

DAP’s multi-ethnic deportment in politics will soon make the party a transformed Malay-majority DAP. DAP is getting support from Malays and Muslims for its proven track record and integrity.  This was least imagined by some observers before 2008. There was this myth among UMNO leaders that DAP will fail the Malays and Muslims.

But Penang today under the stewardship of a competent DAP leader has proven to the nation just within 4 years that the Malays are not being marginalized in the state. “Malays, Chinese and Indians can all be under one roof living as Malaysians with the poor or deprived among them given help.” said a PAS lawmaker in Selangor.

Many enlightened Malays have joined DAP and they are working together with Malays in PAS and PKR for a better Malaysia. Within this coalition are the Chinese and Indians. They all share similar political aspiration for the nation – to see a more united Malaysian race and more accountability in the management of the country.

Malaysians are even ready for such eventuality that the Malays form the majority in DAP as the Malays form the majority race in the country. There will come a day when DAP is being led by capable Malay leaders and lead the country!

A desperate UMNO is resorting to using abhorrent racial and religious undertones to deter the Malays from supporting Pakatan Rakyat parties, including the DAP.

Keep the rural Malays poor

The young generation is aspiring for a nation that does not belong to the bigots. UMNO’s ‘divide and rule' kind of politics to pull the wool over the eyes of the innocent Malays in the rural areas is not their cup of tea either.  Neither are they happy with the corrupt culture of any political party.

Engaging politics the way Perkasa or UMNO does is making the scenario worse for Barisan Nasional. Using race and religion to divert the Malays from seeing UMNO’s misconduct is boomeranging. Perkasa has thus become a great liability to UMNO and Barisan Nasional.

UMNO, regrettably, has to depend on an NGO that cannot even pull a crowd 200 at any of its past rallies to survive.

However, UMNO is not facing a dearth of supporters.  When they cannot convince the urbanites with their political stunts and bluffs they “deliberately” keep the rural Malays poor so that their votes could be easily bought.

The days of UMNO are over

Whether Malaysians can thrust aside race-based parties and embrace political parties based on ideology depends on the younger leaders and generation. To the younger generation the days of UMNO is over.

Ethnic Malays are the majority in Barisan Nasional and Pakatan Rakyat. And both coalitions see a representation of the Chinese, Indians and the Indigenous group. However, when UMNO, MCA and MIC are race-based parties, PKR, PAS and DAP are liberally for a multi-racial approach to politics.

Apparently, both coalitions in the country’s two-party system are dominated by ethnic Malays by virtue of the race being the country’s majority. As such, Malay interests can never be jeopardised as the prime minister will still be ethnic Malay even when the Opposition comes to win the next general election.

It’s only when Malaysians are politically developed and mature one day could the top leader of the country be anybody best qualified for the job – one that can be accepted by all the races.

Malaysia Chronicle