Umno must fight for all races or lose out

Penang Malay Congress president Rahmad Isahak said for any party to have long-term political relevancy, their leaders must make sacrifices for the people.

GEORGE TOWN: Umno can only regain its position as the undisputed political force if it reverts to its original struggle of fighting for not just the Malays, but all races, said Penang Malay Congress president Rahmad Isahak.

Rahmad said Umno had digressed in the last three decades into an organisation which is Malay-centric and obsessed with attaining wealth, rather than serving the people.

As a result, Umno’s popularity nose-dived particularly among the non-Malays who are now clamouring for more say in view of the country’s population growth but punctured by the shrinking “economic cake.”

“Malaysia’s lack of strong growth is also due a global economy which is struggling to keep pace with the demands of globalisation,” he said.

Rahmad said since the 1990s, Umno’s political hold in the urbanise areas had been declining as the Malays now had a choice of leaning on PKR, PAS and of late, DAP, which was seen to be wooing more support from the community.

While, the move to involve the grassroots to pick calibre leaders was laudable, Umno must also take stronger measures to revert to its original struggle, he said.

“Umno in the eyes of our forefathers struggled for Independence, not just for the Malays, but for the Chinese, Indians and other ethnic groups. Umno was for everybody and it should remain as such if the country wants to be progressive,” he added.

The party’s original principles of ensuring that the people’s destiny in this region lies in their own hands had also spread to Sabah and Sarawak, thus giving birth to Malaysia.

“Therefore, one cannot dispute that Umno has played a great role in Malaysia’s political fortunes than any other party,” said Rahmad.

Congratulating Shahrizat Abdul Jalil, Khairy Jamaluddin and Mas Ermieyati Samsudin, for their victories in the recent elections of Umno’s wings, he said there remained a hiccup in its electoral process.

“I am informed that several branches did not conduct their annual general meetings according to the party’s constitution. The issue may be technical in nature, but Umno needs to ensure its grassroots are well-organised.

“It begins from the core for any party to have long-term political relevancy, their grassroots must be active, while their leaders must make sacrifices for the people,” he said.

Rahmad urged Umno to avoid the pitfalls of greed, cronyism, nepotism and power abuse, which came when there was no end in aiming for materialistic wealth.