Ariff: Umno ‘values’ must not be the new norm

These are people lacking in talent, and ability, who never worked hard even a day in their life, are corrupt and support a corrupt system.

KUALA LUMPUR: Raub MP Mohd Ariff Sabri Abdul Aziz, mulling over the issue of Malay values, hopes that what’s being promoted by Umno now won’t come to be accepted by the community as the new norm. “Prime Minister Najib Abdul Razak has cited the Quran to claim that those who are in power have been entrusted with it. The Malays must ask themselves whether Najib and Umno deserve to hold this trust when they can’t be trusted.”

He listed out in his blog what he claimed was being promoted by Umno as the new Malay values … Malays cannot be trusted, they are not efficient, they don’t appreciate the contributions of their leaders in the past, it’s okay to pawn one’s dignity for the sake of money; money and position can help overcome the bad and the ugly, the truth and what’s wrong, and in black and white. In short, Malays must have no principles.

Ariff expressed disappointment with the estimated 22,000 Umno branch leaders who don’t seem to appreciate the contributions of past party President and former Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad. “Where are the Malay heroes nurtured by Mahathir during his 22 years in power? Can his efforts to elevate the Malay mind be just forgotten?”

After Mahathir’s era, Malaysia continues to be in bad shape. “No one will see Mahathir as having any other intention but to see the country on the right footing. He doesn’t want to see his nation-building efforts for 22 years destroyed overnight.”

“This is not an issue of Mahathir having his style and Najib having his style.”

Style, added Ariff, has nothing to do with it. “It’s about saving the nation. What has brought about this situation, it need hardly be stressed, is Najib’s leadership which was bent on wrecking everything.”

So, continued the MP, Mahathir is urging that the Prime Minister be replaced, just as Badawi was replaced. “He’s not calling for the government to be overthrown. Why should Mahathir, who has contributed so much to the nation, be party to overthrowing the government?”

“He wants the Prime Minister to be replaced according to the Federal Constitution.”

Nevertheless, he implied, that replacing Najib is easier said than done given the legions of rent-seekers and treasury raiders around the Prime Minister. “This explains the phenomenon behind their arrogance, one arising not from having any degree of talent or skill but putting the hands in the cookie jar.”

Ariff, resuming his take on Malay values, pointed out that the Umno people form less than 1 per cent of the people and have no business dictating the Malay community’s value system. “Umno is a 1 per cent party, by the 1 per cent party and for the 1 per cent party.”

He spells out the figures: 3.4 million Umno members are controlled by 22,000 branch chiefs, and 48 Supreme Council members. “Who are these 1 per cent? Their corrupt values are reflected in government policies. These are people lacking in talent, and ability, who never worked hard even a day in their life when they were in school, college and university but yet passed. They are corrupt and support a corrupt system.”

Najib, argued Ariff, does not have to worry about the 22,000 branch chiefs. “He just has to look after the 191 divisional chiefs.”

As regards the rest, he calculates, they can be bought for RM1000 per annum , through BR1M (Beri Rasuah 1Malaysia) or Bantuan Rakyat 1Malaysia. “Cash is King, according to Najib. Everything can be settled with money, given the right price.”

When Najib was asked in Parliament about his plans to settle the RM42 billion 1MDB debts, the MP recalled, he talked about selling the company’s assets — not acquired by taking loans but given free or at very low premiums by the Federal Government — to settle its debts. “Nothing was said about bringing the wrongdoers, who incurred the debts, to book.”

“Wrongdoing at 1MDB cannot be cancelled by the company selling its assets to settle its debts. Wrongdoing is wrongdoing. It must be addressed.”

The company selling its assets to settle its debts, warned Ariff, is a separate issue altogether. “If true that 1MDB is not a government company although started with just a RM1 million grant from the Ministry of Finance, why is Putrajaya so determined to protect it?”

Ariff thinks that the government should just butt out of 1MDB’s affairs and allow things to take their natural course, and let the company go bankrupt. “Let all who are involved in the company’s woes be exposed.”