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Sakmongkol ak 47

ariff.sabri@gmail.com

Wednesday 4 February 2009

UMNO Reforms: Talking and Doing

The PM we never had, Tengku Razaliegh Hamzah recently made some very interesting proposals. His, followed on the heels of certain proposals on UMNO's structure made by the chairman of UMNO's Disciplinary board, Tengku Din. As many remember, many were aghast at the proposals and Tengku Din drew a lot of flak. He was also termed quite unfairly and rudely, senile by untutored and uncouth UMNO riff raffs.

Perhaps these riff-raffs are the collective backbone of UMNO. The DPM2B told everyone, (although the prospects of Muhyudin as the DPM2B are fast dwindling) don't underestimate UMNO which has 3.5 million members. These are indeed brave words from the man who suffers from atrophy in his facial muscles preventing him from smiling more.

Well, with the majority of UMNO members composed of riff-raffs, with people who think a different set of laws apply to them because they are after all, UMNOputras a subspecies of Bumiputras perhaps, every right thinking people CAN underestimate UMNO.

These people protesting a more active MACC are like a bunch of cattle stealers and rustlers complaining to the cattle owners, not fair for calling in the sheriff. As the cattle rustlers would have it, the fair thing, is to allow cattle owners' committee in the form of the ineffective Disciplinary Board does the catching. For GOD/TUHAN/ALLAH sake! The man heading the UMNO D Board is throwing up both his hands. I bet you, if it's possible to raise hands and feet together, he will do it. Where money politics is concern, without the political will to use the big stick, UMNO is a gone case. What is even more insulting, is the foot shuffling, tongue slipping, mind vanishing- oh, it's not the MACC that they don't like; it's the methods employed by MACC. Dei, tamby, ayya, ah so, ah ma, pakcik, atuk, nenek, haven't you taught us, you spare the cane, you spoil the child.


But the DPM2B only manages to insinuate that UMNO will carry out structural reforms? The extremely vague public announcements brings immediately the recall what Blackadder said to William Pitt (Pitt the young). Blackader is of course the much loved BBC series on political parody, Blackadder.

Pitt the young announced to Blackadder that he will field his younger brother as candidate in a by election. Seizing the moment, Blackadder asked- and which Pitt shall that be? Pitt the younger?, Pitt the toddler? or Pitt, the glint in the milkman's eye? In the same manner, Malays are asking, which reforms are DPM2b talking about- reforms on the drawing board, reforms dreamt yesterday, or reforms the glint in UMNO's eyes?


The axiom, justice must not only be done, but must be seen to be done has its corrupted version in UMNO. It is not necessary to have reforms done, it is necessary only, to make it appear that reforms are done. In the absence of concrete evidence, I would say, what Muhyiddin says is just verbiage. The more substantive proposals on reforms were recently mooted by Tengku Razaleigh.

That will be discussed in a separate section.

20 comments:

Pak Zawi 4 February 2009 at 07:43  

Dato' Sak,
The only way for UMNO to be reformed is to dissolve the present UMNO (Baru) and form an alternative party of any other name other than UMNO but with the spirit of the old UMNO. It can't be Semangat 46 since it died in its infant stage and it should be led by the PM that we never had, Tengku Razaleigh Hamzah as the Pro Tem President until Dato' Sak is ready to take over.

Raison D'etre 4 February 2009 at 09:14  

Dear SM,

As an Umno man yourself, do you have any insight as to whether these riff raffs knows how much bile is directed towards them by all and sundry?

Or is it a case of "F#$k opinions" on their part?

I am amazed at how Umno members with an ounce of ethic and moral wuthin them still wants to be part of a system that promotes corruption to the core.

My newphew (23yrs old) recently sent us an SMS saying that he (a medium term Umno member) has given up on the party and joining PKR.

Perhaps I shall write a posting on him one of these days.

Is there still hope at all for Umno, I wonder?

Anonymous,  4 February 2009 at 09:37  

Dato' Sak

Kudos to you, you've hit the nail right on the head in all your post-KT postings; and are finally enunciating exactly what it is that people at large feel about UMNO. I sincerely hope your efforts don't come too little too late. As big a following as you have in blogosphere, how many of them are UMNO leaders in a position to do something about the rot in UMNO? More pertinently perhaps, how many of them are clean enough to want real change in UMNO?
My entire family are UMNO members. My parents are in it because of their ideals, but sadly my younger siblings are in it because it puts money in their pockets. I can't make them understand that ideals have to count for something when you join a political party, because they have clearly become part of UMNO's riff raff.
I love them but I can't stand them. This is what UMNO has done to me on a personal level.

Bystander

Anonymous,  4 February 2009 at 10:01  

Sak,

My mother is 86, healthy and very
alert. She has been an UMNO die-hard member since 1950s. Nothing
can move her otherwise. She never
vied for party posts, very happy just to see the Malay progress.

Recently she was very unhappy seeing the rampant money politic in UMNO. The UMNO politicians now are no longer of the same creed as during her times.

She stayed out during the March election saying she would be tempted to vote for the opposition.

She loved UMNO too much to do that.

Avalion

kuldeep 4 February 2009 at 10:10  

We can't have MACC and the Disciplinary Board to be too rigorous please.We do not want the likely scenario that if they enforce it to the letter, we may end up with zero qualified candidates for all the posts.What do we do then?Keep Pak Lah ?
Btw..I saw Mr Mohd Mohd on the telly last night somewhere in a Penang kindergarten.He actually spoke in English ;voicing his concerns for the rights of our children for a proper education.I wish he has the same fervor for creating employment opportunities for rural youths.

kuldeep 4 February 2009 at 10:20  

I read TR's proposals and I would say that's its inline with my thoughts as I commented in your blog earlier.
Have a greater degree of separation of the politics and the executive functions of the government i.e political posts is no guarantee of a govt post.
The key is to create an environment where its impossible or extremely difficult to get a decent ROI financially.Then,we have less of the riffraff and more of those willing to invest(their efforts) for UMNO for spiritual ROIs.

Ariff Sabri 4 February 2009 at 10:36  

pak zawi,
many UMNO members and supporters are weeping inside for what is happening in UMNO at the moment. the fundamental ideals of UMNO to build up the Malays so that they can take their place with dignity are being hijacked by marauding opportunists.
raison detre,
sadly, all our remonstrations will be lost amidst the festive atmosphere at the coming perhimpunan agung. its all just a fun game. sure, there will be chest beatings, keris unsheatings, all that jazz, but they are all just empty posturings. i tell you, the enthusiasm at the carnival like atmosphere will be further garnished by the equally enthusiastic nocturnal outings by the UMNO people.

Bystander,
at this juncture, we cant tell anything to our siblings. UMNO is where the money is. for the majority, loyalty follows the money fountain. i just met a naib ketua bahagian in Pahang who boasted of his accessibility to UMNO ministers to whom he brings all kinds of business proposals.
avalion,
how i wish our UMNO leaders can read your comments. this is what UMNO is inflicting on the early generation of UMNO supporters typified by your mother. when i was small, i couldn't understand the fuss my grandfather showed when when he heard certain UMNO leaders just won an election- with tears welling, he would raise both hands towards the sky and muttered some doa.
Kuldeep,
mr MOhd2 is on one of his campaign trails. he will soon be meeting all the ketua kampungs in this country, somewhere in Perak i think. guess what, many of these ketua kampungs are delegates to the UMNO General Assembly.

Anonymous,  4 February 2009 at 11:15  

Dato,

At the risk of being menyibuk
(at MCKK there used to be this word "cengkurik" - but this habit of jalan dengan tunduk membongkok, hulur tangan ke depan mintak lalu does not help at times), may I menyelit in this posting as well.

I want to say, well said.

Those protesting MACC action have vested interests or are proxies of those who have, if not themselves have, skeletons in the cupboard. How esle can one interpret the hindering of investigations, the attempts to act on corruption.

Let's talk more about them and against them so that MACC are not deterred from taking action. For goodness sake, money politics is no longer UMNO internal matter. It is damned outright corruption and it erodes the very fundamentals of democracy, of human decency, of fairness and fairplay, of efficient management of the country.

Many ancient civilisations have perished at the hand of corrupt practices and corrupt mentality - the Aztecs, the Mayas, the Khmers, etc.

Egypt, India and China with thousands of years of history no longer became great largely because of corruption. The Egyptians with 4,500 years of history have nothing to show except ancient monuments and relics of antiquity. China was a pariah state for a long time until the last 1-2 decades. Instead of being great, we will be in the parit if we are not careful and not continue to criticise the wrongs in the country.

Let's hope the protesters are not proxies of the big guns who can derail MACC. Let's encourage and empower (citizen power, hopefully)
the MACC.

At the risk of sounding like a scratched gramaphone record (no longer in use for decades), let's hope and pray that the POLITICAL WILL to rid money politics and corruption emerges.

Best wishes.

Pak Idrus 4 February 2009 at 11:37  
This comment has been removed by the author.
Anonymous,  4 February 2009 at 11:52  

Money politics and/or corruption are not the only things they are trying to stop MACC from investigating. They are even trying to stop Ahmad Ismail from being prosecuted for sedition. UMNOputras must have thought they are a sub-species, a very very privileged one at that. Even the rulers are subject to prosecution but not them.

kuldeep 4 February 2009 at 12:23  

During the days of the Internet boom a very common word to describe a financial position where you can be considered as completely independent of ANYONE is "f**k you money".When you achieve that magic number,what ppl thinks of you does not matter anymore cos even without lifting a finger u r riskfree set for life.
The problem now is too many people in politics chasing for that with the LEAST effort and in the FASTEST possible way.And they have seen that so many of their predecessors hv done that>>so just follow the same modus operandi,In time UMNO have developed an SOP (standard operating procedure) to achieve "f**k you money"status.The template will read like...ketua cawangan pemuda>some position in bahagian>ketua bhgn>perwakilan...I dunno ,suppose you know the SOP better than me.
But myb you are too honest and idealistic to play that game too.

Anonymous,  4 February 2009 at 13:46  

UMNO is like an old cock and had done all the screwing around its BN wifes !. Now the new cock around the block, ayam jantan PKR is aiming to be no 1 cock,,,,so there will be a ayam sabong fight soon enough-lah. But be extra careful cas. this younger cock also main belakang type.
I just can'y wait for the cock show. Arrrr the Old Cock in UMNO has elected a younger cock to replace him for the fight,,,can this new UMNO cock fight ?. To me, he looks like ayam bapok i.e softie.
Maybe, a stronger ayam should be selected,,,but what is available may not fit the bill too !
where to look for stronger/smarter/honest/caring cock around the country ?.
Sure kalah-lah with this softie/lemah ayam not so jantan.

Islandman,,,turtle can replace cock?

Anonymous,  4 February 2009 at 13:47  

I said it before and will say it again, UMNO talking about reforms
is about as sincere as a drug dealer participating in an anti drug campaign.

KULI proposals were so thought provoking, I read it several times, and daresay Pakatan should also take cognisance of his ideas, lest they too fall into the same trap as they grow politically.

Rithaudeen, who these riff raff led by 25 people who form the UMNO supreme council, declare as senile, is known for his keen intellect, even harsh critics like Lee Kuan Yew has sung praises of Tenku Rithaudeen in his memoirs.

But unfortunately , these men are casting pearls before swine.

Vijay Kumar Murugavell

Eric 4 February 2009 at 14:01  

Dato'Sak,

I pray that you are heard. When BN and UMNO are in such a disarray, the whole Malaysia loses out.
Which of its current leaders can bring back an uncorrupted inclusive UMNO for the good of all Malaysians regardless of skin colour, religion or other futilities?

Eric

Anonymous,  4 February 2009 at 14:26  

Salam Dato',

How enlightening it is to see an UMNO member express a very honest and pertinent opinion. For that I salute you Dato'.

I've been a fan of Kuli since the early 80's. He was then, and still now one of the most if not the most capable person to lead this country. He is UMNO in-and-out but that has never stopped him to meet and discuss with opposition leaders for the sake of the country. And they welcome meetings with him too because Kuli has always been a very open and accomodating person.

As great a person Kuli is, the rot in UMNO is too deep to be rectified in any cosmetic way. I loved UMNO, the party that my grandparents fought and sacrificed for. Although now I'm leaning more towards PAS and PR, I want UMNO to live on and remain strong. And for that to happen, I can only see one solution. UMNO should experience being outside the federal government. With no access to the gravy train, UMNO will be able to cleanse itself from political mercenaries and "riff-raffs" and bounce back stronger than ever. What's the point of having 3 million official members when quite possibly at least half of them are pointless about the ideological principles of UMNO's struggles? Whomever remains loyal when UMNO is out of the federal govt are the true Malay warriors, though smaller in numbers have the resolve and dedication to remove mountains.

And when that happens, many of us who are currently disenchanted with UMNO and supporting PAS & PKR as a result, will pledge our support to UMNO.

Allahu'alam.

Anonymous,  4 February 2009 at 14:37  

Dato,

Re your comment before mine earlier on.

Not that you might, but may I say that good leaders don't jump a sinking ship.

UMNO may not really be singking, though it certainly is sailing rough waters now. You may not be
the captain but you are a leading passenger. You may not be a Wakil Rakyat any more, but you are still a leader.

Certainly, right-thinking members of the blogosphere will elect you as a leader. We are behind you whole-heartedly in trying to right the wrongs of UMNO and of the country.

Who says the powers-that-be don't read what you write? Even if they don't, their advisers do. They know that many thinking people hardly bother about mainstream media and go to blogs, including Dr Mahathir. And they certainly want to hear what is being said in responsible blogs. And yours is a responsible one.

Double M and the likes of him may be having a field day but the battle is not lost yet. He may win 1-2 battles but this is a war against wrongs and young people like you can win in time. Over time, right always wins against wrong.

There are many silent supporters of your views out there, UMNO members and others. Such UMNO members may be keeping quiet out of deference and politeness (sometimes a Malay weakness)to
the corrupt so-called leaders and their hanggers-on. The other silent Malays have simply not
been mobilized into action.

It's lonely out there for leaders in power who try to do good and really lead. It may also be lonely for you when those corrupt fellows celebrate at PWTC, hotel lobbies, etc. If that happens, please remember that we are always with you in our thoughts and prayers.

This is not preaching or patronising in a superior way but a sincere statement of support for what you have said against money politics and corruption. I patronise your blog and will continue to menyibuk if I may.

Best wishes.

Anonymous,  4 February 2009 at 21:53  

Sebagai manusia kita ada ''conscience''... kalau pada pikiran Dato', KJ adalah pemimpin yang baik dan bersih, baguslah, saya hormat keputusan dato'.

Tetapi, kalau Dato' menulis bahan2 yang baik tentang KJ hanya kerana wang ringgit, projek2, atau imbuhan secara tidak langsung, maka paham pahamlah.

Anonymous,  5 February 2009 at 01:33  

Hikayat Mamak Bendahara,
looks like you're starting to get jealous of Dato' sak!
Paham pahamlah!

Anonymous,  5 February 2009 at 09:58  

,,,,,,,dalam UMNO ada banyak binatang binatang sekarang ini macam dekatv Zoo. Kepala-nya sa-ekor Slow Loris, deputy pulak anak gajah tak betaring !. Monyet monyet pun banyak, tiga empat ekor kera betina. Badak sumbu pun ada menanti giliran. Musang Jantan pula keliling Ayam Ayam betina yang rajin bertelor. Harimau tua tak habis habis mengelohdi luar pagar. Kerebau tak pandai tolong di sawah padi lagi, nak jadi boss pula, nak lawan Taukay !. Anak Musang dah besar ibu. Itek yang berak merata rata.
Tiada pun manusia yang boleh jaga mereka,,,,elok nye buat kenduri besar, semeleh semua saja.
Kita buat party soup binatang lemak asap jawa ?

islandman,,,jangan buat turtle soup, haram ! hahaha

Anonymous,  5 February 2009 at 17:01  

Dato,

A small correction please -

The word "passenger" in my comment 04 February 2009 14:37 above should read "member of the crew".

Best wishes.

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