The UMNO Elections: Winners and Losers

I sent a message to a friend; that was before the results for the UMNO VP race were announced fully- I said if Mukhriz loses, tomorrow Dr Mahathir will come out with guns blazing. Now that Mukhriz has lost, Dr Mahathir will be on attack mode. He is going to launch a series of attacks until Najib is evicted from office. He has already laid down the issues- Najibs failure at transformation, incompetence at managing the economy and out of control spending. He even took aim at Najib’s BR1M programs. Plus on the issues that only he and God knows.

 A few weeks ago, Tengku Razaleigh dismissed the idea that Dr Mahathir can influence delegates to vote in Mukhriz. . Yesterday on October 19, what Tengku Razaleigh said was proven right. Mukhriz failed to get a spot as UMNO’s VP. A few years ago, when Mukhriz contested the Ketua Pemuda post, he failed. This means Dr Mahathir has lost twice and his influence, just like UMNO is waning.

When I used the term waning, I am reminded of a conversation I had with another former UMNO leader about 3 years ago. Musa Hitam said, UMNO’s influence is waning. A few days ago interviewed by Bernama TV, Tun Musa Hitam lamented the dearth of real issues carried by the UMNO combatants’ in this 2013 UMNO elections. Candidates sold only one issue- reflective of their own besieged mentality that Malays are under attack. From who?

Its comeuppance for UMNO actually. What you reaped, is what you have sown. The government’s profligate spending now comes to haunt it. Corruption now comes to haunt it because the government allows it to become a culture. Race- relations are testing the government because it has sown the seeds of dissension. Its leadership is weakened because it has a system more able to produce mediocre but moneyed leaders.

Musa asked where are the substantive issues that are plaguing the country that should be the battle cry of UMNO leaders to show they are serious about the country. Where are the issues about corruption? About economic injustice? About homeland security? About forging unity among Malaysian races? None of these issues are talked about. Instead it’s the old story of how Malays are being attacked, their rights being questioned, special position of Malays threatened and so forth. I can only sympathise with Tun Musa Hitam.

 Back to Dr Mahathir, the man who can walk on water. It seems that Dr Mahathir is no longer relevant. It’s now time for Dr Mahathir to support the real forces which are trying to build a better Malaysia. Start by throwing out the band of half past six leaders and the party that is composed of stupid people. They can’t run this country. Dr Mahathir can redeem himself from all the wrong doings and mistakes he did during his 22 year rule by saving Malaysia from stupid, conniving and plundering leaders. I have no doubt Dr Mahathir can do this. He comes from enduring genetic stock- members of his family live are blessed with longevity. So he has many years to get rid of incompetent Najib. Start now.

At the first round when Mukhriz lost, Mahathir got his revenge by successfully engineering the exit of Abdullah Badawi. He was able to persuade UMNO leaders to revolt against Pak Lah because each of the leaders, just like the passengers in Agatha Christie’s Poirot: Murder on the Orient Express had their own interest to stab the American businessman. Najib and his gang on the UMNO choo- choo train, each their own reason to jettison Pak Lah.

The difference between Pak Lah and Najib, is that the former dozes off frequently. Because he falls asleep very often either because he likes to sleep or because he suffers from an ailment which he mentioned, Pak Lah was eventually ousted. Najib, on the other hand, while equally dumb and painfully indecisive, does not fall asleep while on the job.

Najib wants to checkmate Mahathir so he calls up the UMNO liaison chiefs and operatives at state levels saying he wants to retain status quo. When delivering the welcoming speech at the Pekan UMNO meet, he hinted for Hishamudin to be retained. This is how Najib works- I know because I was once his information chief. Avoiding direct frontal attacks, Najib will often use subterfuge and works insidiously. The man is a master at palace intrigue while maintaining a poker face. He makes personal calls and will offer a host of incentives.

If Dr Mahathir calls, what can he offer but a fading memory of who he once was? Out of power, means out of sight means Dr Mahathir is ignorable. The Dr is no longer someone who presides over life or death.  Soon, he can’t walk on water either.  

On 19^th October, Pak Lah announces he will retire from politics. The difference between Pak lah and Dr Mahathir is that the former is believable. With his retirement, where is Dr Mahathir’s own existence? Dr Mahathir's own existence is defined if he has enemies to feed his adrenalin rush- with Pak Lah gone, who does he have? He hasn’t got anyone else to serve as bogeyman. He has no punching back. Anwar Ibrahim? Dr Mahathir knows Anwar Ibrahim will go on sabbatical for an extended time as the Government’s house guest, soon. Pak Lah can go to sleep soundly at night and he is actually a brave man for he sleeps with a Jinn Jeanne.

Dr Mahathir now will spend his waking hours with insatiable rage. So from now on here, Dr Mahathir will train his canons towards Najib.and boy, does he have many.

It’s time for the Sabah UMNO people to stand up and prove they love Dr Mahathir as one delegate from there said we Sabahans haven’t forgotten how Mahathir was humiliated- we will stand by him! So prove to Malaysia that Sabahans’ TATAP love for DR Mahathir is stronger that their liking of the envelops being passed around. Mana itu enbelop ba…

Let’s talk about the money now.

Look at the simple arithmetic. If each of the 146,000 delegates to the 191 divisional meets took RM500 from the candidates for MKT, conservatively, they raked in RM73 million. For each candidate vying for the VP post, the going rate for buying delegates’ vote was RM1000. That’s another 146,000 x RM1000= RM146 million. Total? More than Rm200 million and that is a conservative estimate.

What about the expenses of the storm toppers spreading across the country feting the 191 divisions? Each VP candidate has at least 10 operatives for each division. If 10 people work on 191 divisions, you have 1910 operatives. If each were paid RM20, 000 for two week’s work, that’s another RM38 million. That’s more than RM250 million already.

I am not surprised if the amount of money circulating during the UMNO elections, was more than RM400 million.