YOURSAY | The end is nigh for Umno?

 

YOURSAY | ‘Umno's sins have finally come to be exposed.’

Rafizi predicts 'crybaby' Umno will meet its demise in 5-7 years

Kilimanjaro: Five to seven years (for Umno to meet its end) is sooner than I thought. I thought it may be 10 years, but it will almost certainly happen. Look at the ground.

The one who shouted for the Malays most is not PAS, Bersatu or even Umno. It was Putra president Ibrahim Ali. But it did not come as a surprise that he too lost in a predominantly Malay area.

Most people, including most Malays, will come around when they realise that the long reign of Umno, which propagates itself as the party that fights for the Malays, is drowning in corruption and the money ending up in the pockets of just a few.

There is something called a "blessing in disguise" and that Pakatan Harapan was blessed with this is not an overstatement. Through the Sheraton Move and insisting on a Malay-centric government, the parties and the coalition involved rather shot themselves in the foot and forfeited a better chance of a resilient future in Putrajaya.

Moreover, PAS has done enough damage to last for a century and Malay parties that think PAS is going to be an asset are just fooling themselves. PAS is a liability. It can only win for itself and my guess is if it can win 11 seats in GE15, it should consider itself lucky.

This is the time the other Malay parties should "break the neck" of PAS and go for Kelantan and Terengganu and save the misery of the people of these two states.

BobbyO: Umno's sins have finally come to be exposed. The scandals are affecting not only the Treasury but also the people in a huge way.

There is a WhatsApp picture of a Malaysian banknote that is circulating showing our first Agong Tuanku Abdul Rahman covering his eyes in shame seeing our currency depreciating to such a level.

The question is, do Dr Mahathir Mohamad and Umno feel any shame? With all the resources and manpower, how could we be in such a position?

The people are feeling the severe impact of all these hundreds of billions of ringgit wasted through mismanagement and corruption.

The price hikes for daily necessities due to our currency depreciating have affected the poor the most. Increasing allowances is not going to solve the problem.

People have to fork out 20 to 30 percent more on their daily expenses at the very least. Not forgetting, bank interest rates are rising as well. All these cannot be solved with a mere few hundred ringgit in additional allowances.

The opposition is in a position to repeat what they did in 2018 and perhaps do even better. Take advantage of people's frustration. Expose more of the shenanigans of not only Umno but also PAS.

PAS under its president Abdul Hadi Awang has wavered from its course. Their leaders are more interested in protecting their positions and perks. They were even willing to go to the extent of using Umno's ‘haram’ monies to achieve their agenda. Where did the alleged RM90 million go? How much if it was diverted into the pockets of a few selected leaders?

Now is the time. The opposition needs to be united. They cannot be choosy as they need all the help they can garner.

6th Generation Immigrant: PKR deputy president Rafizi Ramli’s campaign and war cry are for the good of the nation as a whole.

Many are hopeful that it becomes a reality beginning with the 15th general election. These are facts easily accepted and understood by our urban dwellers.

Rafizi's war cry must, however, be simplified and directed more towards the lower strata of our rakyat, mainly the rural Malay voters.

These lot of voters have long been brainwashed and ingrained to believe that Umno and all its derivatives (BN, PAS, Bersatu, Pejuang, GTA, etc) are the true saviours of raja/agama/bangsa, but these cries have not produced results or done well for the people in the past half a century.

However, we can see for ourselves that there's still ample support for those criminally-tainted politicians in Umno.

Max Fury: Fighting corruption doesn’t resonate with half the electorate, especially with the Malay voters in the rural and semi-rural areas.

Perhaps touching on bread-and-butter issues would get their attention better.

Enlightened Globalist: The misrule of BN-Umno is exemplified by the fall of the ringgit against all major Asian currencies over the past decade. The ringgit has fallen against the Indian rupee, Indonesian rupiah and the Philippine peso.

The country is living beyond its means with an over-bloated civil service, huge debt payments and subsidies. Economic growth has essentially stagnated.

Headhunter: This is a good start for Harapan. Credit to PKR president Anwar Ibrahim for giving Rafizi the leeway to roll out his campaign.

Anwar himself will benefit most if Rafizi is allowed the freedom to lead and keep the momentum going leading to a win in the coming general election which could be months away.

Anwar should concentrate on building a united front among the allies. Stop being arrogant and keep saying that you want to keep all the seats for yourself.

Cogito Ergo Sum: This is the best prediction for the nation. I wish it were faster, much faster.

It is amazing that despite a series of criminal charges and one conviction against Umno/BN’s leadership, the party is still able to have a lot of traction with the grassroots. It’s a pathetic reflection of the level of education and exposure these supporters possess.

Harapan has to act as one cohesive force to administer the coup de grace at the next general election. Otherwise, there won’t be a recognisable Malaysia heading into the 16th general election.

Hang Babeuf: The situation in Malaysia remains as it has always been. All sorts of interesting changes are conceivable and possible. Even necessary.

But they are also unlikely to happen - or to be allowed to happen.

Man on the Silver Mountain: The fact is that Umno top leaders have committed crimes, which is why they were tried in court. Incarceration is part of the punishment.

Hopefully, people like Rafizi are able to let that sink in. We cannot allow criminals to run the country.

It is not so much about policy. No matter how good and affirmative it is, if crooks handle it, it will not do the country and the people any good. - Mkini