Plundering in the guise of protecting the Malays

Delegates at the Umno general assembly are becoming more strident in their demands for 'rewards' for those who support the party. – The Malaysian Insider pic, December 7, 2013.When Umno started out in 1946, it united many Malay groups and organisations in the pursuit of Merdeka, an independent Malaya which later formed Malaysia with Sabah and Sarawak.

It fought for the race, religion and rulers. And it ruled Malaysia with its allies, MCA and MIC, and later expanded that to Barisan Nasional in the aftermath of the May 1969 race riots.

Its mission never changed and every annual gathering was focused on race and religion. But now, that is being used to profit the few rather than the many.

This year's assembly is no different, especially at a time of rising costs and shrinking surplus in the country. Malaysians are told to tighten their belts as assessment rates and electricity tariffs go up. Soon, toll rates will be raised while a consumption tax comes into effect in April 2015.

But over at the Putra World Trade Centre where Umno has its annual general assembly, it appears to be more like a gathering of Ali Baba and the 40 thieves as delegate after delegate speak about the economy and the need to reward only those who supported BN and Umno in the 13thGeneral Election.

They are all trying to parcel out and get more for themselves in the name of protecting the Malays! It is still about business opportunities just for Malays and corporate positions just because they are Malays.

There is so little talk about how far behind Malaysian students are lagging in mathematics, science and reading in the PISA rankings this year.

Not one squeak on the ticking time-bomb of household debt and income inequality in the country, except that people should tighten their belts. Even the cash handouts are a miserly amount which some delegates now want to restrict to just their supporters. 

Just gimme gimme gimme. 

Everything is for them and pity those who stand in their way and question what they are doing.

All the government-linked companies are for their own economic development and not for the rest of the country.

How then can we still have 1Malaysia? Even that might give way to 1Melayu if some delegates have their way.

Let's just cut the fluff and call the Umno assembly what it is: officially sanctioned plundering of Malaysia.

There can be no other reason to meet, except to find ways to profit for themselves at the expense of their community and country.