UMNO elite, meet & emulate Seman Deros who puts party above self

JASIN -- Seman Deros has been considered many times as a possible general election candidate but the chairman of the Kampung Pulai Umno branch of 34 years never got fielded in any election.

Yet, the 70-year-old Seman is not disappointed and neither did he resort to sabotaging the party.

"In my political struggle, I do not chase after the position of an elected representative. It is more important for me to champion the religion, race and country. I am not disappointed," he told Bernama at his house in Kampung Pulai, here.

Seman, better known as Cikgu Seman because he had served in the education department, was picked out for mention by Prime Minister and Umno president Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak in his winding-up speech at the recent Umno General Assembly in Kuala Lumpur.

Najib cited Seman as a loyal Umno member who has remained committed to the cause of the party despite not having been selected to contest in the general election.

This was attested to by Melaka Chief Minister Datuk Seri Mohd Ali Rustam when he opened a 1Malaysia shop in Taman Serkam, here, recently

Serkam is the state constituency that Seman could have represented if he were to have contested the general election.

Seman said he was convinced that the Umno helmed by Najib would select electoral candidates who had the people's well-being and interest at heart.

"So, what's wrong with the people opting for Umno and the BN (Barisan Nasional) to administer for a hundred years more if the leaders are good and can bring greater progress for Malaysia and maintain peace in the country?" he asked.

Seman advised Umno members, particularly those who had ambitions of contesting the upcoming 13th General Election, to stay loyal to the party, respect the decisions of the leaders, remain sincere to the party's struggle and not chase after positions and materialism.

"Let's not think we are eligible to be a leader. Leave that to the people to determine," he said.

Seman said sincere Umno members would certainly be duly rewarded.

He said he had worked diligently since 1978 to increase the number of members of his Kampung Pulai Umno branch from 170 to about 800, and the reward came as recognition from the Umno president before thousands of party delegates at the general assembly.

"I am very grateful. This (recognition) is truly the work of Allah (God), which I did not, in the least, expect," he said.

Najib had seen a photograph of Seman in tears in a daily after being overcome with emotion listening to the Umno president's policy speech at the general assembly.

Then, in his winding-up speech, Najib cited Seman as an exemplary loyal Umno member who had never become an elected representative but remained committed to the Umno cause.

Seman said he became a little famous after the publicity, with friends calling on him at his home and contacting him by telephone, even from far away as Australia, to congratulate him.

-- BERNAMA