In this era of political transformation, BN component parties have a colossal thorn embedded in their posterior region, a wound which is bleeding these parties to death.
A macabre analogy? Perhaps.
But being in the same coalition with Umno must be an indescribable pain in the rear indeed, especially with its former president Dr Mahathir Mohamad still around to drive the thorn in deeper.
How is one suppose to defend the indefensible without being perceived as having inked a Faustian pact or coming across as a ventriloquist puppet?
There seems to be an endless stream of controversies which these leaders are forced to comment on and in the process, must bite their tongues in order not to blurt out that all of this is Umno’s or Mahathir’s fault.
These men and women have to take the brunt of the criticism for the shenanigans and diabolical schemes of their political masters and the latter’s official mouthpiece.
When the tape recorders and video cameras are switched off, these leaders would complain at length about the atrocities of their big brother.
Well, it is not that these parties are clean as a whistle themselves. There are more skeletons in their closets than one would find in a hundred cemeteries.
Being the siblings of Umno is nothing short of a tightrope walk, a delicate balancing act between the demands of their respective communities and the unpredictable antics of Umno leaders.
As expected, these leaders are falling off the rope, landing flat on their faces and breaking their limbs. With each sunrise and sunset, their parties become more and more eclipsed.
Tongues in a knot
In the case of Perkasa’s Ibrahim Ali and Zulkifli Noordin, MCA, MIC, Gerakan and the rest of the crew fumbled and continue to flounder in explaining how the infamous Perkasa pair still roams free despite committing a series of verbal homicides.
And when Prime Minister Najib Abdul Razak named Zulkifli as the candidate for a parliament seat in the recent general election, MIC leaders found their tongues in a knot.
How could a prime minister, who exhorts the Indians to have trust in him, pick someone who insulted Hinduism as a candidate?
The move was a contradiction of the highest order. It was a knockout punch that left both the 1Malaysia clarion call and MIC battered blue and black.
As usual, the MIC president buried his head in the sand while a handful of party leaders cried foul and warned of an electoral backlash.
But keeping true to the BN tradition, the disgruntled voices fell on deaf ears. The golden rule is - Umno decides and the rest must follow with their tails tucked between their legs.
One cannot even imagine what would unravel if MCA was audacious enough to name infamous bloggers Alvin Tan and Vivian Lee as their candidates in the next general election.
Apart from the Perkasa president slipping into a trance, the MCA president might find himself dumped into a cauldron of piping hot bak kut teh.
A coalition of unequals
So what are the factors that convince MCA, MIC and the rest to swallow their pride and remain in this coalition of unequals? The answer is simple - positions, power, perks and contracts.
On the other hand, Umno too consist of those who force themselves to subscribe to the proliferation of a racial agenda for the same reasons.
Educated in prestigious foreign institutions, this ambitious lot made the strategic decision of joining these parties which serve as ladders for their political ascension.
These political actors then stage a play for the gallery, uttering different things in the open and behind closed doors, abetting in the dividing and ripping of this nation for their self-interests.
It is said that a politician thinks of the next election while a statesman thinks of the next generation. On this note, Malaysia is cursed. It has an abundance of politicians but not a single statesman.
These politicians must excavate deep into the depths of their conscience and ask themselves if this is the legacy which they would want to leave behind for their children?
Perhaps the time has come to take a page out of Mahathir’s book and work towards the formation of a BN Baru.
A macabre analogy? Perhaps.
But being in the same coalition with Umno must be an indescribable pain in the rear indeed, especially with its former president Dr Mahathir Mohamad still around to drive the thorn in deeper.How is one suppose to defend the indefensible without being perceived as having inked a Faustian pact or coming across as a ventriloquist puppet?
There seems to be an endless stream of controversies which these leaders are forced to comment on and in the process, must bite their tongues in order not to blurt out that all of this is Umno’s or Mahathir’s fault.
These men and women have to take the brunt of the criticism for the shenanigans and diabolical schemes of their political masters and the latter’s official mouthpiece.
When the tape recorders and video cameras are switched off, these leaders would complain at length about the atrocities of their big brother.
Well, it is not that these parties are clean as a whistle themselves. There are more skeletons in their closets than one would find in a hundred cemeteries.
Being the siblings of Umno is nothing short of a tightrope walk, a delicate balancing act between the demands of their respective communities and the unpredictable antics of Umno leaders.
As expected, these leaders are falling off the rope, landing flat on their faces and breaking their limbs. With each sunrise and sunset, their parties become more and more eclipsed.
Tongues in a knot
In the case of Perkasa’s Ibrahim Ali and Zulkifli Noordin, MCA, MIC, Gerakan and the rest of the crew fumbled and continue to flounder in explaining how the infamous Perkasa pair still roams free despite committing a series of verbal homicides.
And when Prime Minister Najib Abdul Razak named Zulkifli as the candidate for a parliament seat in the recent general election, MIC leaders found their tongues in a knot.How could a prime minister, who exhorts the Indians to have trust in him, pick someone who insulted Hinduism as a candidate?
The move was a contradiction of the highest order. It was a knockout punch that left both the 1Malaysia clarion call and MIC battered blue and black.
As usual, the MIC president buried his head in the sand while a handful of party leaders cried foul and warned of an electoral backlash.
But keeping true to the BN tradition, the disgruntled voices fell on deaf ears. The golden rule is - Umno decides and the rest must follow with their tails tucked between their legs.One cannot even imagine what would unravel if MCA was audacious enough to name infamous bloggers Alvin Tan and Vivian Lee as their candidates in the next general election.
Apart from the Perkasa president slipping into a trance, the MCA president might find himself dumped into a cauldron of piping hot bak kut teh.
A coalition of unequals
So what are the factors that convince MCA, MIC and the rest to swallow their pride and remain in this coalition of unequals? The answer is simple - positions, power, perks and contracts.
On the other hand, Umno too consist of those who force themselves to subscribe to the proliferation of a racial agenda for the same reasons.
Educated in prestigious foreign institutions, this ambitious lot made the strategic decision of joining these parties which serve as ladders for their political ascension.These political actors then stage a play for the gallery, uttering different things in the open and behind closed doors, abetting in the dividing and ripping of this nation for their self-interests.
It is said that a politician thinks of the next election while a statesman thinks of the next generation. On this note, Malaysia is cursed. It has an abundance of politicians but not a single statesman.
These politicians must excavate deep into the depths of their conscience and ask themselves if this is the legacy which they would want to leave behind for their children?
Perhaps the time has come to take a page out of Mahathir’s book and work towards the formation of a BN Baru.
RK ANAND is a member of the Malaysiakini team.
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