Can Umno Make It On Its Own?

 

In short, what can Umno offer the Malays that others cannot? The Malays just want money. And they don’t care who gives them money as long as they get it. And Muhyiddin Yassin better take note: it’s all about money. And as they say in America: SHOW ME THE MONEY!

NO HOLDS BARRED

Raja Petra Kamarudin

The impression they are trying to create is that Umno does not need PAS and PPBM because it can win the next general election or GE15 entirely on its own.

Even the British did not believe that, which was why in 1951 they forced Umno to form an alliance with the Chinese and Indians. Umno then approached MCA and MIC to propose an alliance, which was aptly called the Alliance Party. If Umno refused to form an alliance with the Chinese and Indians, then the British would not agree to Merdeka (which happened six years later in 1957).

In the first (pre-Merdeka) election in 1955, Umno won 59% of the votes and 65% of the seats. However, after Merdeka, the Chinese and Indian foreigners were given Malayan citizenship. And in the first general election in 1959, Umno won only 36% of the votes and 50% of the seats.

Malays have changed a lot since when Umno was formed in 1946

Yes, those were Umno’s best days when they were the darling and champions of the Malays and when most Malays were uneducated and simple-minded farmers, fishermen and villagers (orang kampung).

Since then, more than 60 years on, 100% of the Malays have gone to school, about 25% of Malays have received a higher education (college or tertiary), and not a single Malay does not have access to a smart phone or to the internet. The number of Malays who have a PhD today is higher than the number of Malays who went beyond “standard six” in 1950. (Remember Tun Ghafar Baba who was just a standard six graduate?)

Yes, Umno was relevant 70 years ago in 1950, the year I was born. Today, Umno is a victim of its own success.

Yes, Umno, in its own way, is successful. Umno dragged the Malays screaming and kicking out of the kampung and gave them education. But the problem with educating the Malays is it allows them to think. And Malays today are able to think.

That is why the Chinese want to retain Chinese schools and Chinese education. And that was why the Communist Party of Malaya (CPM) infiltrated the Chinese schools. And that was why Lee Kuan Yew banned Chinese schools and Chinese education and arrested all those educationists who campaigned for Chinese schools and Chinese education.

Schools and education are dangerous.

More than 100 years ago, Russia was a nation of peasants. So, Leninism, Marxism and the ideals of Communism fitted in well with that nation of uneducated people. The same went for China and many other nations around the world that left their people in ignorance.

Today, Russia, China and many of those “idealistic” countries subscribe to the doctrine of capitalism. Money is the new God. Money talks, ideals can take a walk. Even Malays no longer worship Islam but worship money.

The new God to most Malays is money

I am sure many of you are perturbed when I say, “Even Malays no longer worship Islam but worship money.” You are probably going to profusely deny that. You really think that is not so?

Most Malays who oppose Prime Minister Muhyiddin Yassin say they oppose Muhyiddin because he is allegedly not doing a good job. He is not managing the country well and life is very susah and many people do not have money.

Actually, the whole world is susah and the people do not have money. And that is not only because of the Covid-19 coronavirus pandemic but because the capitalist system has broken down. Capitalism is the “new colonisation”, and the rich-powerful countries control the world, no longer with guns, but with the United States Dollar.

Today, China controls the US Dollar, and it is literally buying up the world. Even property in Manchester is being snapped up by Chinese investors from China who are flush with US Dollars. House prices in my area have increased quite a bit over the last ten years in spite of the economic crisis.

When my sons came here 20 years ago in 2001, you could buy a house for £45,000-50,000. Today, you need to pay £200,000-220,000 for that same house. Malaysians who bought houses here fifteen years ago are making tons of money.

Terima kasih China!

Even praying to God is expensive and requires a lot of money

Anyway, as I said, most Malays who oppose Prime Minister Muhyiddin Yassin say they oppose Muhyiddin because he is allegedly not doing a good job. He is not managing the country well and life is very susah and many people do not have money.

In the past, the main concern of the Malays was whether the government is implementing Islamic laws and is propagating Islamic values. Even Anwar Ibrahim built his political career using Islam.

Is Muhyiddin anti-Islam? Is he trying to turn Malaysia into a secular country? Is Muhyiddin trying to abolish Sharia laws? Is Muhyiddin closing down mosques? Are the tudung being banned from public places? In what way is Muhyiddin detrimental to Islam?

No, this is not about Islam. They oppose Muhyiddin not because he is an enemy of Islam. They oppose Muhyiddin for monetary reasons. It is all because there is not enough cash in their pockets.

Yes, it is all about money. They want RM10,000 from EPF. They want moratorium on loan repayments. They want toll-free roads and highways. They want no GST or any form of taxes (import duties on cars included). They want minimum wage of RM2,000 a month, and so on. And if Muhyiddin is not giving them this, then they oppose him and want him to resign.

Malays are now judged by the cars they drive and no longer by how many cows and chickens they have like in 1950 

In fact, no GST, no toll, etc., were one of the main factors the voters voted for Pakatan Harapan in 2018. The main consideration for many Malays voting Pakatan Harapan in 2018 was money (or more money promised by Pakatan Harapan).

Some people, especially the Chinese, pretend that they oppose Muhyiddin because they want democracy. Yeah, right. The Chinese in China care about democracy, is it? What they want is money. And if they have a lot of US Dollars in their pockets, they do not care about democracy. After all, why have democracy like, say, in the US when the economy is in a mess and the people are poor?

Malay voters of the 1950s had different values. Hence Umno was suitable to the Malay ideals of 70 years ago. Malays today have entirely different values. Partly it is because of education and partly it is because capitalism drives the world today.

Malays will no longer support you if you promise them Islam, like in 70 years ago. Malays will only support you if you promise them more money in their pockets. Hence Umno is no longer relevant. What can Umno offer the Malays? Merdeka? Education? Malay nationalism. Sharia laws?

In short, what can Umno offer the Malays that others cannot? The Malays just want money. And they don’t care who gives them money as long as they get it. And Muhyiddin Yassin better take note: it’s all about money. And as they say in America: SHOW ME THE MONEY!