UMNO- self-induced rigor mortis
I have written so many essays critical of UMNO in the past. Friends asked me why am I still in UMNO? How can I write many nasty things about UMNO and seemed to get away with it-why haven't I been hauled up by the UMNO disciplinary committee or something and not ticked off? Isn't there anything good that UMNO has done? Let's clear one thing first. This is the source of many of UMNO's problems. Some people assigned to themselves the right to determine who should or shouldn't be in UMNO. They then judge others in terms of their thinking and criteria. Pak Lah or any others can't measure up to Mahathir in many aspects. But they are not necessarily inferior to Mahathir. They are different. They must be judged on objective terms, not the subjective standards of one Mahathir. Najib doesn't seem to do things anything right according to Mahathir. The old man is so stressed up and suffers physical debilitations. The problem worsens to become person-centric. One person determines and defines UMNO. Inevitably, the right to be in or out of UMNO depends on loyalty to individuals and not on the political ideals, ideas, shared vision and so forth. The problems become multiplied many fold, when UMNO 'farms' out the responsibility of sieving and determining leadership material to hired hands outside the party. These are the intellectual hacks and overrated audio visual and print media practitioners who arrogate to themselves the ultimate discretion of how should UMNO behave. Hence there are people who think UMNO is the personal kingdom of some people and that the issues of these individuals exist to inherit the kingdom of UMNO. What has UMNO become then? It becomes an organization feudal in nature where its leadership depends on being from the right loins. The leadership in UMNO is therefore no different from the method of ascribing extraordinary abilities by being conceived from a buloh betong, materializing from a cow's vomit or suddenly beamed from across the terrestrial highs to bukit si guntang Mahameru. From thereon, the majority of UMNO suckers pledged eternal loyalty to the blue blood. This is the earliest symptoms of the inability of UN+MNO to manage success. For over the years, UMNO attracts a multitude of thoughts, aggressive and independent minded individuals, a vibrant ward of supporters, personalized political inclinations as success unavoidably do, that its continuity and longevity, depends ultimately on the ability to manage all that diversity. This, the current crop of leadership spawned unfortunately during the Mahathir years failed to do. UMNO has generally failed to spawn 'elastic' leadership that is capable of adapting. Instead it has led to the emergence of a leadership hell-bent on preserving freakish control and one opposed to internal transformation. I can only answer by asking why shouldn't I be in UMNO? UMNO isn't the property of the present crop of UMNO leaders. Some of them are there because of some unexpected happenstance. They have the right 'bins'. You are bin somebody, therefore you are leadership material. This is a fundamental defect of UMNO's leadership. Which I will continue to offer criticisms. Secondly, I believe I have done nothing wrong to be the guest of the disciplinary committee. Finally, there are of course many good things that UMNO has facilitated, whenever there was good leadership. There are of course the people whose replies are directed ad hominem. My personal problems used as weapon to demolish my arguments. My service as a one term UMNO ADUN taken as an indication that I have not performed well. To the first approach, it only serves to entrench my conviction that the majority of UMNO members and supporters do not have the stuff to win over people with reasoned arguments. I employ the term stuff as a mild description. To the second, I myself can't defend my track record. You asked my detractors they will give you the answers you desire to serve the purpose by which you set out in the first place- i.e. to look for 'facts' that can vilify me. In the not so distant future I hope to be able to tell you my side of the story. I believe it will show that it is not I who will be found wanting- but we will discover that I am put in an environment where UMNO can't manage success. This then is the biggest problem with UMNO now. It just doesn't know how to manage success. It can't because it doesn't have the right leadership with the right values, the right institutions to manage the overall success that UMNO has generated for the country. It is still a party held back by old tools of the trade unable to deal with new realities. The development brought possible by UMNO- general rise in educational level, rising expectations, infusion of new values, new experiences, all are never appreciated to the full by UMNO. As a result, it's a party that has refused to adapt. DS Najib as the current UMNO president is now desperately trying to force UMNO to adapt.
28 comments:
Dato',
UMNO is doing it as you said self-induced rigor mortis, PKR is in the same state and dilemma and so do PAS and DAP.
So where do we go from here and as it is the nation is going straight into the drain.
Jibby is blinkered and look so confused and the rest of UMNO leadership are all good for nothing except there have the "bins" or related somewhere or else pure apple polisher.
Jadi siapa yang nak menyelamatkan negara ini?
Polis? askar... lagi tak bolih di harap!
Between ketuanan Melayu and ketuanan rakyat pick your choice come PRU 13. And we pray to GOD for his blessing.
Dato Sak,
1. Reason - UMNO (Baru) cant manage its success? Well it depends on which side of history one looks at.
2. My take differs from yours. To me all started with what happened after the 1987 presidency contest.
3 years on, after TDM created UMNO Baru, my view about histories of UMNO and UMNO Baru still intact.
4. Dalam situasi politiking yang didokong oleh najib sekarang, ianya tidak ada bezanya dengan tindakan TDM selama 22 tahun bberusaha untuk kekal dipuncak kuasa.
Matlamat untuk mengekalkan kuasa at all costmenghalalkan segala cara. Perjuangan memartabatkan bangsa melayu menjadi secondary dan dalam keadaan terdesak telah dijadikan collateral victim dan ransom demi mengekalkan kuasa.
5. Terfikir juga mengenai slogan perjuangan melayu yang dilaungkan oleh UMNO Baru sekarang ini bila terdesak.
Apakah masih wujud perjuangan itu setelah keahlian UMNO Baru dibuka kepada semua bumiputra termasuk bumiputra bukan melayu dan bukan Islam apabila UMNO Baru memasuki sabah dalam tahun 1992/93 dulu?
bat8
Its impossible to trust a leader who states that he is pushing for a new method to rehabilitate prisoners cos it cost only 7 mil per annum for 300 prisoners(2k per prisoner per month) as opposed to current method which cost Rm 50 mil for 400 prisoners (Rm 10.5 k per prisoner per month).>refer to sunday times today.
Any sane person will question those numbers and get into details.Any leader worth his salt will seek benchmarks to test those numbers.
I think this supports ur arguement.We are not getting real leaders cos of our self imposed bangsawan trap.
Dear Sakmongkol
The great danger facing any organization – whether a corporation or a political party – is cult worship of the leadership. This often happens in non-democratic institutions or countries where power is concentrated in a few people, who can personally destroy you (if you don’t play ball and fall in line), or promote you (if you become subservient to their wishes, even if bad). Look at the power of Mubarak for 30 odd years and how a great country like Egypt had stagnated while the ruling class prospered. Look at China under Mao, where his word was final, and how he destroyed its economy and social structures in the years of the Great Leap Forward and purges under the misguided Cultural Revolution.
In these two examples, the people were never free to voice objections or to criticize without great personal harm to themselves and family. It is much harder to understand why blind cult worship exists or is encouraged in freer societies. In India the Gandhi family name means an automatic boost to the top in politics and even the premiership. In the Philippines the Aquino name has magic. These are pretty “free” societies, yet it is hard to explain the adulation of the public with those names. In reality those people are not truly free because their minds have been molded and shaped and enslaved by years of domination by the ruling class.
At home here, it is not much different. There is indeed blue blood in Umno. If your name has a Razak or Hussein or Mahathir to it, you are almost there. You are just a notch or two from ultimate power, if not already wielding it. This can only mean 2 things: either politics (or whatever else) is fundamentally a function of only genetics, or that we as a people are still entrapped in a slavish allegiance to those with power, who like the gods of old have a direct power over life and death.
I respect your right to speak out when you see wrong being done in your party. A righteous and moral party whose mission is to improve the livelihood of its people must surely accept criticism of its policies and shortcomings. When it attempts to stifle dissent, it merely says that there is only one thought, one idea, and one way – the way of the leader. You comply or get out. Only the weak and insecure are scared of new ideas. But the strongest organizations are the ones that are open to ideas and criticisms. After all it is ideas that change organizations and societies. If dissenting ideas are discouraged and disparaged, who is there to provide a check and balance to a corrupt leadership? And where would new ideas for renewal come from if the whole party consists of only sycophants? You are doing a great service to your party. Umno, if it is to become better, needs more people like you, not less.
Salam Dato' SAK,
ORANG BERKATA PEMIMPIN umno dIATAS OK BELAKA, YANG BANYAK CEKADAK NYA DI PERINGKAT BAHAGIAN DAN CAWANGAN. PERINGKAT BAHAGIAN FIKIR APA FAEDAH BERKAIT KONTRAK DAN PROJEK. pERINGKAT CAWANGAN PULA HAPAH TAK TAU APE, PERLEMBAGAAN UMNO TAK BACA DAN TAK TAHU, TULIS MINIT TAK TAU. jADI MACAM MANA?... tIADA YANG KEKAL APA YANG DI CIPTA allah DAN APA YANG DI BUAT MANUSIA. ITU HAKIKAT NYA , CUMA MASA NYA SAJA.. JADI APA NAK DI HERAN KAN.
Salam,
Dato',
I have a question: What is the ideal tenure of a people's rep? Please write on this.
-MAKORANG-
We need to change, enough is enough, UMNO is not like before, so many problem with the leaders, UMNO Melayu cannot ruled the country, they are not sincere to the rakyat all the while hendak jaga kepentingan diri, they are scare if Pakatan ruled banyak kepincangan akan terbongkar, UMNO is back by Media, TV, PDRM, SPRM, MAHKAMAH, SPR and also kuasa wang,
Tau pun yang UMNO tu parti feudal yang ketingalan kereta api.Dalam gempita tempikan untuk menjadi negara maju menjelang 2020 peribadi UMNO sendiri tak pernah menuju ke arah itu.Lihatlah selepas Najib siapa yang akan menjadi pewaris pemimpin UMNO : Hishamuddin Husin atau Mukhriz Mahathir.nanti apabila pakcik dan mak cik tua d kampung-kampung sudah mati mahukah anak cucunya terus menerus menyokonh UMNO seperti dato nenek mereka...
A letter from Hussaini Abdul Karim published in TheSun on 24 May 2011 had an
account of what to me seems to be an arrogant upstart who thought nothing of
thumbing his nose at the COO of a bank.
{ see: http://www.sun2surf.com/article.cfm?id=61014 )
In part the letter read:
Once, in a meeting with a chief operating officer (COO) of
a government owned bank, I brought my problems with a
business loan application. I told the COO that my application
was placed in the KIV folder for a long time.
The COO heard my arguments and enquiries about the delay
and then gave an instruction to a young executive to look into
my application. The executive replied immediately, "Boss, I
don't have the time but if you want to do it yourself, it's up to
you."
I thought, when a young executive turns down an instruction
given by the COO in front of a client, he has committed an act
of insolence and yet, in the case that I witnessed, the COO did
not do or say anything to the executive. It gave me the
impression that the COO was afraid of his young charge. I later
discovered that the young executive always got his way with the
COO because he had "someone up there protecting him".
Hussaini did not write whether the arrogant chap or his protector were linked to UMNO, but it certianly brought to my mind the UMNO branch members in Puchong who not only defied the local council and the enforcement staff who had tried to evict the UMNO
people from their illegal occuptaion of a portion of a public playground, but also verbally taunted and physically threatened the residents who had protested against the occupation of their playground. If my memory serves me right (the incident took place around 2008), oneof the UMNO folks even shouted "Kita UMNO, kerajaan tahu!" as he defended the illegal UMNO branch office.
A "300 pounds gorilla" stance which smacks of absolute power tending to corrupt absolutely, I think.
There have been even worse examples of UMNO's arrogance since, and various ministers finding excuses not to act against the culprits.
It does not bode well for a political party which has such an illustrious past stretching back to the steadfast stand against the Malayan Union, nor for a race which can proudly boast of true heroes like Tok Janggut.
And the present PM has shown practically no sign of being able to lead his own party and restore an honorable and respectable image to it. Empty talk, rhetoric and slogans, possibly churned out by multi-million outfits like APCO, cannot subsitute for true statemanship and steady leadership.
It's okay to dedicate some time to lament on what's broken ... we are only humans with emotions and sentimental thoughts.
But then, after you have done that, completed the pomps and ceremonies, it is time to move on.
Forget about the good old UMNO days, it will never come again. Even the present UMNO was not the one registered in the 1940's / 50's.
Best you use your energy and wisdom on helping the rakyat and the country progress. We don't need UMNO or Barisan Nasional to lead the progress. They are too broken to fix. Some others can do the leading.
Dato, it's time to put down the yoke. Time to end the lamenting. There is a lot we need to do for our country. We need to start now ... for our children, our grandchildren and all the Malaysians who are yet to be born.
Does UMNO resemble a political party or a triad society.
I would say UMNO is the worst of Triads because the triad that we have seen in the past showed a decent level of morality.
UMNO is devoid of decency at all levels. It is too long to mention because everything about UMNO's character is worse than thuggery.
I am so, so disgusted with UMNO that even if I can make make UMNO leaders disappear, I would not do so until I have put them through the hell of fire.
That much injustice, that much wrong they have done. To defend UMNO, the party is to defend the leaders. It is the members that make up the party. How many UMNO members speak up against UMNO anyway?
Actually I believe the simple answer to why you are in UMNO is simple - because you are Malay. Malays don't just give up on 'their things'. Most Malays keep every scrap of sentimentality, memories, etc. Its what make a Malay a Malay.
Unfortunately, UMNO B is not the UMNO you hold on to. The UMNO you hold on to was buried replaced by a plastic disposable.
So you have every right to be in UMNO and try reclaim the old you remember.
Let's no be side tracked. Let's discuss UMNO.
When one is in rigor mortis that thing is dead.
A dead UMNO can only resort to spirits, withcraft, sex videos, sodomy, abuse of the judiciary and vote rigging to stay in power.
On its own merits is cannot survive.
A dead UMNO will lead the country to rigor mortis as well.
It may even resort to murder - (remember crushed bodies, Putrajaya at whatever costs, etc etc)?
Your analysis is quite interesting and refreshing. I think it is difficult for current UMNO to change as they have been so 'cultured' and brainwashed to think in a certain manner by a few in the uppermost echelons. This is a typical siege mentality and ivory castle behavior. No amount of debates, discussions, forums, what ever else, will ever change the mindset. mahathir has created this UMNOverse where he still rules behind the scenes for his own economic benefit. Thus there is no succession planning, like, say, Singapore. That is why we end up with so many bad politicians, who are all hell bend on grabbing and maintaining power so that they can continue enriching themselves. Time and again, its been demonstrated globally throughout centuries that if power means wealth, or the means to wealth is through power,the government will be impotent. No matter how we dissect and examinse UMNO, there is no way for them to change as they are hook on 'opium' or MONEY, in simple language. NAJIB hit it spot on because he himself knows and fully understands that the politicians are the biggest OPIUM ADDICTS in Malaysia. PKR is no different. If in power, it will be a case of same s----, different people. There is no guarantee new government will differ, simply because the same clowns in PKR were all trained in the UMNO circus of life. They dont know better or other alternative to managing.
Your analysis is good, but we have to push towards firm and deliverable actions for the betterment of our children. Or else all our rhetoric and debates are just excercise in futility and waste of bandwidth.
Dato,
The PM is not doing enough to change UMNO simply because he is afraid of losing his position and power. In short, he is not a leader. And UMNO will remain in the rigor mortis state until it decomposes.
Dato' Sak
Inarguably managing dissent is and will always be the most difficult part of any leadership. Dissent is a sign of different ideas at play, manage it well and multitude of ideas will come forward. Badly managed it can tear the system apart. Sadly even in universities nowadays dissent is not tolerated. What will be the future of Malaysia when the youth cannot even debate and argue - while the old maintained monoclonal ideas!
Dear Dato,First things first.Umno disciplinary commitee cannot haul you because they know that facts are facts.Besides with spoons stuck inside their mouths they can't speak either.Since Dr. Mahathir became PM, Umno and later Umno Baru is totally the opposite of the old Umno.Corruption and cronyism were rampant.Not to say that corruption does not exist before Dr. M. Corruption has always existed everywhere in the world.Before Dr. M corruption was on a smaller scale done under the shadows.During Dr. M's watch corruption and cronyism were done openly.Cabinet Ministers down to BN aduns acted like they have a licence to practice corruption.Just look at the middle level of BN politicians.The Khir Toyo types.The former PKR Youth head who frogged back to Umno and now a senator.They all lived in mansions and drive luxury cars.They don't hide that they got their money the corrupted way.You have to arrest the top down to get to them.Because of cronyism we have rampant corruption.That is how Dr. M can rule the country like a dictator.He got all his cronies by their "BALLS".He totally destroyed the supporters of his opponents.It is a known fact that many prominent ex-Umno supporters of Ku Li and Musa ended up bankrupt.This type of mentality that present days Umnonites have will eventually self destruct Umno.What works for Dr. M will not work for the present day Umnoputras.Dr. M ruled with an iron fist.It's either his way or no way.The Umno leadership today is weak because of the many factions.Because of infighting and internal sabotaging,self destruction of Umno will become a self fufilling prophecy.
Dear Dato,Najib cannot do anything right in Dr. Mahathir's eyes because Dr. Mahathir is Dr.Mahathir. Although Dr. Mahathir has overstayed his welcome,even he has admitted it,and has since retired.Although retired he just refused to accept the fact that he is no longer the PM.He just kept meddling in the country's affairs.He still wants to be the puppet master.If he cant pull the puppets string he comes out and publicly attack the puppet.So heads or tails Dr. M is the winner as usual.In Umno loyalty counts only when it comes to the "RINGGIT".Everyone in the commitee, except the ordinary members want to be extra loyal to the next Umno warlord.That is why Najib has to aqquired the services of Apco.Najib cannot depend on Umno people because he cannot see the forest from the trees.The factions know that Najib is always looking over his shoulders.That is why they are letting out their trouble making rats,to undermine Najib's leadership.As usual cowards always hide under their Maks sarongs.Those cronie warlords under the Mahathir era entrenched with their corrupted cancerous mentality are incurable.The ordinary Umno members have to send them into extintion.
Dear Dato',
Do you know that rigor mortis can cause a dead person to spring out of the casket and scare the living? LOL. Are we seeing these signs, like sub-contracting an NGO and create ghost stories on behalf of UMNO?
Dato', if a Doctor who had been 22 years in practice, one who supposedly had big visions for the country, cannot prevent lapses into rigor mortis, who can?
Sak,
Umno is the living dead!No aim at all but lucky to have that ketuanan luck to lord over others...as they know money will talk better than anything else....hence those beggars of position from those BN thick skinned idiots...People value titles[thats where the Royals are made in that high pedestal], ministerships....Why should they care what the people wants...at the end of the day its the position man!
The young Lee Kuan Yew and his
idealistic, socialistic PAP (the PAP of the 1950s and early 1960s, not the present day PAP with its greatly overpaid and arrogant Ministers) cleaned up the widespread corruption of the previous Lim Yew Hock government.
Will we live to see a similar clean-up in Malaysia?
Phua Kai Lit
This wishful death of umno is greatly exaggerated.Do you know that meats after rigor mortis is much more tender then during rigor mortis.
So if you killed a chicken ...wait awhile.
Wait , who is dead.?
Umno is not dying because we the people are not dead....maybe some old gizzard...but the spring chicken will gladly take the realms.
Are you it.?
Dear Dato',
Have you heard of a US republican congressman by the name of Dr. Ron Paul? Your logical and incisive opinions to many economical, historical and political issues for Malaysia and UMNO reminded me of him. In a way, I think you're UMNO's Ron Paul.
Dato Sak,
SoonHock @29 May 2011 23:37 said"
"....Dr. M ruled with an iron fist.It's either his way or no way...."
1. Saya bersetuju dengan statement diatas. Saya pernah menyebutnya beberapa kali dalam ruangan Dato bahawa UMNO Baru adalah CUSTOMISED SPECIAL PURPOSE VEHICLE (SPV)" yang dicipta oleh TDM khusus dan HANYA untuk dirinya BAGI mengekal kuasa dan memastikan dirinya tidak dicabar.
Oleh kerana ianya begitu di " customised dan special tailored" ia adalah sukar untuk sesuai dengan orang lain selain dirinya. TDM knows too well about this. That explains dari satu segi mengapa dia refuses to let go UMNO Baru sehingga hari ini.
2. Analogy yang lain untuk menjelaskan perkara yang sama, ianya seperti baju yang ditailored khusus untuk diri seseorang. orang lain mungkin boleh pakai tetapi pemakai yang baru tidak akan kelihatan segak sebagaimana tuanpunya asalnya.
Apatah lagi jika orang yang memakainya lebih kecil atau lebih besar dari empunya asal. Jika pemakai itu kecil, ia akan kelihatan oversize dan 10 batu pun orang boleh tahu dia pakai baru orang. Begitu juga jika orang yang lebih besar memakainya.
3. Apa yang kita lihat perlakuan UMNO Baru hari ini dengan pemimpin yang silih berganti mempamerkan keadaan pemakai baru yang baru seperti disebutkan diatas.
4. Bila bercakap dengan ambil baju orang ni, the best pemilik baru boleh buat ialah kena ubahsuailah. tetapi ia tidak akan jadi sebagaimana asal...nasib baik kira boleh la pakai!
nak ubahsuai baju senang je, asalkan kita ada tailor yang mahir. Tetapi nak ubahsuai parti macam UMNO Baru ni.....tak tahulah. May be lebih baik buat parti baru kot....lebih senang untuk mulakan dari mula.
Wallahuallam
bat8
Alo, marah sangat ni kenapa? Sebab tuan awak KJ tak dipanggil untuk perhimpunan belia tu ke? Sepatutnya sebagai KETUA PEMUDA UMNO beliau kena ada la disitu tapi tak nampak batang hidung pun. Yang nampak timbalan beliau je yang bertungkus lumus. Hai, paham paham lah kalau orang dah tak nak tu. Cam awak jugak dulu kan. Dah tak laku buat lah cara tak laku!!
Dear Dato,What do you think if SUARAM's application to be a party to the Scopene Submarine scandal probe is approved by the French court.Do you think this will be the start of a wild bushfire in Umno?
It is not the strongest of the species that survives, nor the most intelligent that survives; It is the one that is most adaptable to change.
Dear Mr. Ariff,
Salam.
Thoughtfully written from your point of view. Although I may beg to differ, at least now I had an inkling on how your thinking and emotions are mixed together.
You sir, are loyal to a fault. Not to a person, but to the institution that is UMNO. You are the typical egalitarian Malay who although possesses far greater intellect than the laymen, prefers to dwell on the past and loves romanticized ideas.
You are the sailor who has been brought up, well fed and now owes a debt to the ship. U'd rather sink with the ship rather than swim to the shores. I guess to each his own. Either way, you have my respect. Salud!
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