RACE RAGE: Malaysia's Umno RUNS AMOK

One would have expected a political party at the helm of government for 57 long years to be celebrating with euphoria over success stories at its 65th General Assembly. Instead what the nation and the interested world outside observed was this no-holds-barred race bashing.

If there is any one word that could best summarize the proceedings at the Putra World Trade Centre, it has to be race rage.

It seems quite obvious from the published reporting – including videos uploaded online, that the Chinese community in the country were the main targets.

And of course the two targets that were being gunned were DAP and the Keadilan party leadership.

Going by the online comments and the talk at the market place it is obvious that people are more suspicious and wary of Umno’s leadership especially with the tone of the President and several VPs speeches, let alone the subject matters that were being dished out.

And the Prime Minister’s announcement to bring back the oppressive and draconian Sedition Act further sealed a masked race rage – at the least, that seems to be the perception. While Najib may have a very tough time trying to explain this decision announcement of his made outside of Parliament, to the 30 million citizens and various leaders around the globe, especially investors and the United States of America, civil society is certainly not going to swallow hook and line.

Another Vice President chose to get his playing-to-the-gallery message with tainted race-rage as he declared his war cry of ‘Keris 2314’.

He yelled out that “the best form of defense is to attack all our enemies outside here”.

The conclusion that race rage seems to be the sole preoccupation and strategy at Umno’s 65th General Assembly is inevitable when the President himself in his winding-up speech admitted that Umno cannot stay in power without support from the Chinese and further substantiated his viewpoint by citing Tun Dr Mahathir’s mistake.

Others who spoke up also seemed to be obsessed with some sort of race paralysis. One even hovered on how Umno was faring in terms bagging registered voters. Umno was comparing its sliding attraction in getting voters registered under its race-based political parties verses the Democratic Action Party’s growing success in this area.

Someone was reported having declared that Umno should forget the Chinese community and instead go all out for “1 Melayu”.

So, in summary, can anyone be blamed for perceiving that the 65th General Assembly of Umno was nothing to celebrate about; no success stories to share; no garlands to be given; no optimism to ride upon; but it was all about race rage.

Considering the Malaysian mindset, the next 39 months will then be a lease-line for Umno to either redeem itself by seeking critical care treatment for its race-based obsession and rage or be axed when the voters go to the polls. -MAIL BAG