Najib's political masterpiece and conundrum

At the end of the general assembly, Najib, while urging his party to re-embrace the spirit of "voluntarism", promised to ensure allocations are given for programmes and activities.

This is where the problem lies for the 63-year-old party.

UNLIKE previous general assemblies, two buzzwords littered the speeches and were on everyone's lips at the Umno 60th general assembly.

Replacing Ketuanan Melayu ("Malay Supremacy") were Bagan Pinang and Janda Baik.

The high from retaining the Bagan Pinang state seat had already begun last Tuesday, when delegates gathered to listen to the president's customary Umno general assembly pre-council speech.

Mingling delegates could not help joking and recounting their first Peninsular Malaysia by-election triumph that took place barely 48 hours earlier.

And standing tall amid the applause from the supreme council members awaiting the arrival of Datuk Seri Najib Razak was the diminutive Tan Sri Mohd Isa Samad.

"Bagan Pinang" was used to mark the return of Umno, the return of all-round support for the pre-Independence party and marking of a new era under Najib.

The new president, his deputy, the three vice-presidents and wing leaders could not help highlighting the tourist destination spot in their speeches.

"Janda Baik" too earned its place in the many speeches.

Najib said the Umno retreat had helped the party leaders close ranks and marked a new beginning for the party, where top leaders will have to "do their fair share of the work".

"Like everyone else in Janda Baik, I had to wash my own dishes too," he remarked during his winding-up speech last Friday.

Umno Youth chief Khairy Jamaluddin promised that his movement will have a similar "team-building exercise" towards the end of the year.

The timing for Bagan Pinang and Janda Baik could not be any better, as it helped to end the gloom permeating the party after a string of unprecedented losses in by-elections.

"Had we lost in Bagan Pinang, do you think that we would be smiling today or if the constitutional amendments would have been passed so quickly?" Najib asked last Friday, before explaining why he had picked Isa to contest the seat.

Coming into the general assembly, which planned to expand the party electorate thereby removing the opportunity for its delegates to "enrich themselves" during party elections, it was a masterstroke by Najib.

His political ingenuity did not stop there.

After the bitter party election in March, Najib was able to bring in both former presidents — Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad and Tun Abdullah Ahmad Badawi — under the same roof once again, albeit at different times.

Dr Mahathir attended the opening while Abdullah was in Dewan Merdeka to listen to his successor's speech in the closing.

Najib also thanked Abdullah for keeping his promise not to criticise him whilst continuing to lend his support to the younger man.

The move, though small, will go a long way towards uniting the different factions in Umno.

Yet, the work has only just begun for Najib and Umno.

Revealing the extent of the task ahead of him, Najib noted that the party had failed to register any new voters since its general election embarrassment in March 2008.

Another piece of cleverness, was the "inclusive" message preached by Najib, deputy president Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin and Khairy.

With Najib's 1Malaysia concept weaved into the general assembly, diners at the prime minister's function last Thursday night witnessed perhaps what will be a norm in many government functions.

Replacing routine performances was a potpourri of acts highlighting the various ethnic cultural dances and songs. There was a fusion song sung in Mandarin and Bahasa Malaysia while different races performed a fusion of Bharatanatyam.

Even the emcees consisted of one Malay, one Indian Muslim, an Indian and Chinese lady, clad in their cultural costumes.

Throughout the general assembly too were banners and even programmes carrying the 1Malaysia logo.

Against this backdrop, it is perhaps not unusual that the habitual usage of "racial rhetoric" or "keris" was reduced to the barest minimum.

But then again, the race to be defenders of the Malay race is usually reserved for party election years.

Nevertheless, the shortened debates highlighted a common plea from the delegates — party funding.

At the end of the general assembly, Najib, while urging his party to re-embrace the spirit of "voluntarism", promised to ensure allocations are given for programmes and activities.

This is where the problem lies for the 63-year-old party.

From stories where Wanita members pawned their jewellery to fund Tunku Abdul Rahman's Umno and Merdeka efforts, the party has turned into just another corporate venture.

And with the loss of control in four states, where funding used to be in the form of "constituency allocations from the state governments", the party now has to dig into its reserves to ensure its members "serve" the people.

Amidst the economic recession, Najib will have to ensure adequate finances are secured to fund activities.

Speeches by Najib and Khairy were refreshing and inspiring as both sought to get the party to unite, embrace esprit de corps and re-evaluate their "special privileges" and discard the crutches.

But the message in essence is not new.

During the 2001 general assembly, in the longest-ever presidential speech (one hour and 53 minutes), Dr Mahathir chided his party members for being greedy, urging them to buck up and bring an end to money politics.

Ending his opening address with the poem Melayu Mudah Lupa, Dr Mahathir begged his party not to forget their struggles, to work hard and not be complacent.

That message has returned to haunt Najib and most of all Umno.


comments


Umno youth were in the attack mode in Bagan Pinang using Samurai swords to assault PR supporters, one of them is in critical condition. What do you have to say about that???? To the onlookers, they are a bunch of bandits and rowdies who should be branded as outlaws by the government. But, alas!! Our police condone their behavior. That is what I say again,' Malaysia boleh!!!

The fact of the matter is that UMNO has not budged since Maha-ShitHead's speech in 2001, and the corruption since then has even worsened. This is surely no surprise when Maha-ShitHead himself was corrupt, how can he expect those under him to behave otherwise ?? Don't do as I do, but do as I say ?? What a hypocrite !

Now, the Barisan Najis politicians take what they can as they don't know if they will be around to rape and plunder Malaysia for that long any more. Maha-ShitHead had 22 years to do it, and SleepyHead did as much in less than 8 years so there we have the "trend" of accelerated corruption. Just REJECT Barisan Najis and VOTE IN Pakatan Rakyat ! Touche !

"All for one and one for all" - the 3 Musketeers. That is how Malaysia was progressing until the arrival of the evil despot Mahathir in 1980. That was the beginning of the end of "all for one Malaysia and one Malaysia for all".

Today, Najib is trying to deceive the Rakyat through the meaningless rhetoric "1Malaysia". 1Malaysia, he claims, is inclusive of all Malaysians. Those are mere words and the reality will be completely opposite. I am willing to bet on this fact. Why am so sure? Let as look Malaysian history and Najib/UMNO's track record.

When the NEP was introduced in 70's, it was a well-conceived policy endorsed and accepted by all the races. The NEP sought to address the imbalances amongst the races and eliminate poverty amongst all. The NEP DID NOT advocate that Malays should be given priority over the non-Malays in everything. When it came to implementation of the NEP, UMNO interpreted the NEP to mean that only Malays must be given not just preference but total control over the civil service and full access to employment/promotion, shares, unversity education, etc. The need to correct racial imbalance and eradicate poverty amongst all Malaysians was not just forgotten but totally ignored. The evidence for this immoral, unethical and illegal action of UMNO is clearly evident - e.g. If eradication of poverty in the country had been pursued, why have the Indians have become an underclass when the rest of the country is supposed to have progressed? UMNO and its leaders such as the evil corrupt despot Mahathir manipulated and distorted the NEP further to steal and amass wealth for themselves, their familiies, their cronies and UMNOputras so that even a significant proportion of poor Malays who do not support UMNO are also marginalised.

Najib is playing the same game with his 1Malaysia. He is sweet-talking in front of the non-Malays about treating all Malaysians equally but becomes his true self in front of the UMNO crowd, a keris-wielding corrupt racist. Najib's 1Malaysia, when implemented, will result in the following:
- 1Malaysia is for only 1 race - Malays, more specifially UMNOputras; non-UMNOputra Malays, Chinese, Indians, East Malaysians and Orang Asli have no place in 1 Malaysia, and will be allowed to exist as along as they agree to be servants and subservient to UMNOputras
- 1Malaysia is for only 1 religion - Islam, more specifically the brand of Islam which views beer-drinking as a terrible crime while corruption, cheating, stealing, lying and deceiving are seen as virtues
- 1Malaysia is for only 1 party to rule Malaysia for ever - UMNO and UMNO only (BN is irrelevant and will no longer be needed); the sultans will be an integral part of UMNO.

This is the 1Malaysia that Najib and his UMNOputra are putting in place. Beware.

This murder suspect PM, Najis C4 have to be brought to justice along with his fellow racist bastards !!