Umno losing faith in Barisan partners

Umno’s patience and confidence with the current power-sharing agreement with its partners in Barisan Nasional is wearing thin, judging by sentiments expressed during a closed-door retreat in Janda Baik.

During this rare three-day gathering of Umno divisions, which ended yesterday, a common refrain heard was that Umno should be less generous in giving up Malay-majority seats to representatives of MCA, MIC, Gerakan and other component parties.

The general view among division chiefs was that the component parties were much weaker than Umno and would not be able to swing votes from the non-Malays or the Malays.

In contrast, a strong Umno was better placed to win in Malay-majority seats.

The Malaysian Insider understands that party president Datuk Seri Najib Razak and senior party officials who attended the retreat — aimed at boosting the morale of grassroots leaders — were non-committal on the request for Umno to be less charitable in seat allocation with BN component parties.

If they do agree, it would represent a major departure from the power-sharing agreement that has been the hallmark of the BN coalition, and could be the death knell of MCA, MIC, PPP and Gerakan — political parties which have been allowed to field candidates in Malay-majority seats across Peninsular Malaysia.

Several Umno officials who attended the retreat told The Malaysian Insider that the most important consideration should be to field a candidate who can enhance the possibility of victory at the next general election.

“If a seat has 55 or 60 per cent Malay voters, it makes sense to field an Umno candidate. In the last election, we gave seats in Perak and Selangor to other parties and they were not able to deliver.

"These parties still have internal issues and will not be able to deliver the votes from the non-Malays. So it will be better if an Umno candidate is fielded to try and get the maximum possible support from Malay voters,” said an official, who requested anonymity due to the retreat being a closed-door affair.

During the retreat, officials were also in agreement that Umno’s/BN’s fortunes rested on the ruling party strengthening its standing among Malay voters — a backhanded acknowledgment that it was not pinning much hopes on getting support from non-Malays at the next general election.

This sentiment is consistent with the growing right-wing tendencies that party officials have exhibited in recent months.

There was little substantive discussion on how the party can reach out to Chinese and Indians who Umno officials have alienated in recent months.

Still, the mood during the retreat was one of optimism with Kelantan Umno declaring that it would be able to snare the state from PAS at the next polls. PAS has been helming the state since 1990 but Umno officials from Kelantan believe that the momentum is swinging their way.

Also confident was Perak’s Datuk Zambry Abdul Kadir. Beneficiary of a power grab, he was certain that Umno/BN would be able to hold on to the state.

Less hopeful about their future prospects were Umno representatives from Penang and Selangor.



comments


The impotence of the component parties was mainly due to corruption, cronyism, nepotism and arrogance and we all know who is the main culprit. By insisting on more racial domination in seats show that there is no real intention for any "reforms" but a more hardline stance. It all boils down to more lusting for personal power, positions and riches than anyreal concern for so called national unity and progress. It had always been about individual priorities and interests. Despite the reversals of GE12, some people just never learn. Blaming and pinpointing anyone and everyone but themselves. Still "endearing" themselves to the rakyat through popular incidents like Perak power grab, Plaza Masalam sky dive, cow head protesting and so on. Seemingly unable or unwilling to comprehend that these are the matters and issues which are primarily affecting the rakyat while the impotence of the component parties is a secondary side effect.

When will these idiots learn that right thinking,moderate,GOD fearing Malays are turning their backs on corrupted UMNO. The UMNO putras grab everything for themselves and cheat the other Malays.These people are not simple minded kampung Malays of the past but educated/literate Malays who feel they are being cheated of their rights by their own kind.Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim and the PR are going to win the next elections by GOD's grace.

UMNO may be losing faith in its BN partners but we, the rakyat, have lost faith in UMNO.

UMNO's appoint of the likes of Rohaizat Othman and Isa Abdul Samad in recent and upcoming by-elections shows it is either oblivious to the wishes of the rakyat or that it remains arrogant and defiant of the wishes of the rakyat for a clean, just and transparent government. On these grounds alone the rakyat of Bagan Pinang should reject UMNO. We should keep rejecting UMNO in each and every upcoming by-election until our message penetrates their thick skulls.