Aspan: Umno no longer serves the nation

The blogger says the September 16 rally confirmed that the ruling party caters to one race only.

PETALING JAYA: Last Wednesday’s Red Shirts Rally served only to confirm that Umno has lost its identity as a ruling party that serves all Malaysians regardless of race, according to political analyst Aspan Alias.

In his latest blog posting, Aspan says it’s no secret that the rally was organised by Umno and had its financial backing.

“But do the Umno leaders realise that this has resulted in the loss of their own credibility as leaders of the nation?” he asks.

“Gone is the confidence of the public that Umno is a party that caters to the needs of all races. Umno has now confirmed that it is a party solely for the Malays and one that is led by chauvinists.”

He says it would now be impossible for Prime Minister Najib Razak to restore Umno’s image as a party that leads all Malaysians although its membership is open only to Malays.

He acknowledges that there are Umno leaders who realise this and want Najib to resign in order to restore the party’s lost image. “Umno under Najib is incapable of achieving its ultimate objective of shaping a nation that is united.”

Aspan reminds his readers that he has often asserted that there are some leaders who can contribute to nation building by holding office and some who can contribute only by leaving office.

“In Najib’s case,” he says, “he will doing a great service to the nation by resigning from all positions in the government and the party and live in retirement.”