Stop 'UMNO-NIZING' Malaysia - Nurul urges Najib to return to inclusive politics

VIDEOS INSERTED KUALA LUMPUR - Now that Prime Minister Najib Razak and his men have won the key positions in their Umno party election, they must stop the political posturing before the deep fissures created by their racially charged rhetoric become irreversible and permanently blight Malaysia's multiracial society, warned Opposition politician Nurul Izzah.

"What is important is that Umno agenda should not affect national agenda, which should be more inclusive. (When) you talk about the future of Malaysia, what's good for Malaysia should dictate the future direction," Nurul, the elected representative for Lembah Pantai, told Malaysia Chronicle.

Indeed, the run-up to the Umno election has been marked by unprecedented racial hatred and ethnic bullying, which many critics have accused Umno leaders of deliberately stirring up against the country's minority non-Malays.

Their objective appeared to be to whip up a frenzy of support from Umno members so as to enable them to clinch influential positions during the party poll.

Racial and religious bickering the national conversation in M'sia

Although voting concluded on Saturday, the verbal attacks are still continuing, with the red-hot dispute over the ban on Christians using the word Allah to describe God threatening to spin out of control.

Just this morning Tourism Minister Nazri Aziz, who is known to be close to Najib, plunged the nation into further confusion when he overturned the green light given a day ago by his Cabinet colleague Joseph Kurup who had said Christians in both East and West Malaysia could use the Allah word.

Nurul called on Najib to show leadership. She blamed the lack of "quality" leaders in the government for Malaysia's political, social and economic impasse.

Shel also urged Najib not to use his powers to promote "winners in Umno" to his Cabinet as they may burden the nation. While Nurul did not mention names, it is clear she was referring to Umno Women's chief Shahrizat Jalil and Youth Chief Khairy Jamaluddin.

Both Shahrizat and Khairy are tainted by corruption scandals, but in Umno they are regarded as heroine and hero for scoring landslide victories against their challengers.

"I congratulate the winners but it is important the winners in Umno don't become winners in the Cabinet. I want good ministers, not ministers who are subservient to the prime minister. I hope the prime minister understands this. A lot of Malaysians want quality leadership, and not be unnecessarily bogged down by the happenings and outcomes at Umno. We have gone past that, they have give their party elections national focus. Can we please focus on the current problems we face as Malaysians, which are the increasing incidences of crime, ineffective police force, accusations of unprofessionalism, a very polarized political environment," said Nurul, who is also a vice president in the People's Justice Party or PKR..

"There is not much effort being done to cultivate national unity. You talk in terms of law, many corrupt ministers and officers escape (punishment) due to the Malaysian Anti Corruption Commission citing excuse after excuse. So it is time for the Prime Minister to look closely at the implementation of the MACC so that they can improve their standards, the sense of providing fairness, dispensation of justice, equal opportunities, providing fair treatment to everyone - I think these basic principles should outline how things should be meted out. Stop politicizing everything or Umno-cizing everything."

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