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Sakmongkol ak 47

ariff.sabri@gmail.com

Friday 14 May 2010

Re-educating of UMNO.

I haven't been writing for a few days. Actually I have been doing some research into UMNO. To that effect, I have chosen to rely more on anecdotal accounts as they are raw opinions, often unguarded but in my opinion, reflect a truer perception on UMNO.

But before that, I will say something on the election in Sibu. I have not been there and have been receiving daily on the spot assessments from my contacts in Sibu. The general verdict is: it will be a difficult one for BN this time. If the Sibuans staying in Semanjung choose to go back and vote, BN will surely lose the election.

Let's face facts. 67% of the population is Chinese who are likely to go along with the DAP. The Bumis have no love lost for its current ADUN. When our TVs show the squalor and the pitiful site of Malay villages in Sibu that is a clear suggestion that the ADUN there, Awang Bemee hasn't been doing anything. The Ibans are loyal to BN- on paper but we cannot discount the increasing awareness of these people about their rights and general discontent to 'rambut puteh'- the moniker given to Taib Mahmud.

Let me get back to discussing what's closer to my heart. The Future of UMNO.

UMNO celebrated its 64th birthday recently. Although, technically, the present day UMNO was reformed in 1988, it nevertheless lay claim to be a direct and substantive successor of the UMNO formed in 1946.

The purists will dispute this claim. But we can't go against the logic and belief of 3 million members. To them, this present UMNO, yes this one, though cannibalized by Dr Mahathir in 1988, is still the same UMNO. It is the party whose ideals, ordinary Malays, unsophisticated in thinking subscribed to. Not a small number will continue to assign blame to Dr Mahathir for reconstituting the original UMNO formed in 1946 and thereafter fashioned UMNO, as it were, entirely as a mechanically functional instrument designed to further his own personal convictions. In later years, he will lament the wishy-washy attributes and stodginess of UMNO members to subscribe to his vision. He will berate, cry and eventually offer prayers to invoke God's help to change the UMNO mindset.

The greatest challenge of UMNO now and of its current president is how to rekindle the substance of UMNO's objectives and reinterpret them in the present time. It must carry out that adjustment quickly to stay relevant amidst changing political and social landscape.

It can only do this by:-

  • Revamping the power structure of UMNO.
  • Bring in good leadership- determined, dedicated and with single mindedness
  • Re-mind its followers.
  • Refashioned the idealism of UMNO and making it relevant.

It must position itself within a more sophisticated political milieu comprising of a sophisticated Malay populace, an emboldened Chinese section of the population empowered by their economic might and a generally marginalized Malaysian Indian population. Most of all, UMNO must reinvent itself as a party viewed and accepted by all, as fit to rule not only Malays but Malaysians.

I shall be quick to add, that this last proposition does not necessarily entail UMNO giving up its 'political personality' as custodian of Malay interests. But it does involve leavening that role and responsibility with a sense of realism that we can't ship out the Chinese and Indians back to their historical homeland just as the Arabs cant bomb Israel out of existence. In other words, it's now a Malaysian UMNO and not just a Malay UMNO.

Because of this, the emergence of Perkasa that disparate group of Malay-firsters serving as a life-support machine for Ibrahim Ali stands directly opposed to the ideals of UMNO. It shouldn't even be counted as a pseudo UMNO. There's nothing UMNO about Perkasa other than it being made up of entirely Malays. It is just another vehicle for Ibrahim Ali to stay relevant. I have nothing personal with Ibrahim. We don't even know each other.

If the UMNO president detects a perceptible but surefooted approval of UMNO in recent months, he must also realize that this favorable slant is a contingent one. It can be ephemeral and fluid. It is contingent upon UMNO being able to carry out what it promises to do.

However, let's not throw caution to the wind. I don't think, acceptability of UMNO is achieved by mechanically carrying out its normal duties as in servicing the community, fulfilling election promises. Those come about as a natural product of being elected. Moreover, these things were done by previous UMNO and yet in 2004, UMNO was soundly trounced. We can't just explain that catastrophe to Pak Lah's leadership. Pak Lah's emergence reflected on the whole what UMNO has become. A safe haven for warlords bent on making hay while their political sun shines. It has metamorphosed into a soulless being. Hence UMNO just can't re energize itself by adopting the same much publicized commitment to community service.

You have to do it whether you like it or not and indeed, failure to do will be reared with being booted out.

More important, is to give meaning to UMNO 's and Malay existence. Is UMNO's cause served by treating and turning Malays into pitiable supplicants?

UMNO must provide that leadership which resonances with a new consciousness among the progressive Malays. Though small in number now, this is the group that will shape the Malay mind in the years to come. Chief among the attitudinal resetting is a rejection of the image of the Malay as a mindless supplicant to a re-tooled image of the Malay wanting to earn his right. Because he, the Malay, now has the tools- education, mobility, social interactions, and a cynical general distrust of UMNO politics.

Next….breaking up the power structure.

12 comments:

Anonymous,  14 May 2010 at 19:35  

Dato
Truly a "MALAYSIAN" flavoured article.If you continue with more of this kinda of sensible and pragmatic approach,i dont see why people would want to hate UMNO.
Dato,
I will take a bullet for leaders like you.You should be the one in the drivers seat, or at least in the advisory inner circle of the current leadership.
Dato
You make my day!

bat8 14 May 2010 at 20:38  

Dato,

1. Saya tidak nampak bagaimana pemimpin UMNO(baru) hari ini berupaya untuk melakukan satu transformasi sebagaimana yang Datocadangankan.

2. Perjalanan UMNO(Baru) hari ini adalah kesinambungan perjalanan UMNO(Baru) sejak ia ditubuhkan dalam tahun 1988. Bagaimana hendak merubahnya.

3. May be kita patut mengambil langkah yang sama seperti yang dilakukan oleh TDM dulu. Kita buried the present UMNO(Baru) dan kita tubuhkan sebuah parti baru diatas from its ashes.

UNO(Baru) yang ada sekarang ini terlalu parah untuk dibaiki.Ibarat teko retak seribu, terlalu fragile. Jika dibuat sesuatu pasti akan hancur lrbur.

4. Kita kekalkan nama UMNO juga say UMNO Malaysia Baru. Kita bina dan pastikan parti baru ini benar-benar mengambil aspirasi parti UMNO yang pertama dulu dan pastikan ianya tidak bermula sebagaimana dan berjalan sebagaimana UMNO(Baru).

5. Pastikan juga bekas-bekas pemimpin UMNO(Baru) yang memperjuangkan kepentingan peribadi, yang akan menjadi liabiliti kepada parti baru ini tidak diterima kedalam parti baru ini.


bat8

Richard Cranium 14 May 2010 at 21:29  

...an emboldened Chinese section of the population empowered by their economic might...

Sir, not so. The Chinese are emboldened because they are at their wits end. Sometimes, enough is enough.

Many Chinese do not have that much-vaunted economic might that most Malays mistakenly associate the race with.

I don't mean to sound bellicose or anything. Its just that there is much for all the races to unlearn the stereotypes we have for each other.

American,  14 May 2010 at 22:35  

If Malaysia is to stay successful in building and meeting the competitors of the world, then it has to change to be only one true UMNO which should stand for "United MALAYSIAN National Organization" and not the other way round. You utilize the best strengths in mind and body of all your human manpower resources irregardless of their race to beat the competition out there.

Anonymous,  15 May 2010 at 02:12  

Salam Dato' Sak..

Fantastic ideas DS. But really I can't see that coming from UMNO. As you say right now UMNO is populace and led by those with unsophisticated mind and very few sophisticated mind like you Dato'. And those with sophisticated mind are prevented from leading the pact. How then can UMNO reform and project itself as a custodian of Malays and Malaysians if the best minds are isolated and even hated (KJ) by UMNO.

I believe UMNO/BN must be booted out of government first for them to really reform. Only that kind of big scale eye opener can really open their eyes to embrace reform.

Anonymous,  15 May 2010 at 08:15  

Umno will do good for itself and the country when it becomes the Opposition for at least 2 terms.

KUSOH,  15 May 2010 at 09:43  

WELL GO BACK TO BASIC.....ALL POSTS IN UMNO ARE OPEN FOR CONTEST...THEN WE CHOOSE THE BEST MAN FOR THE JOB, SINCE 1988 , THE QOUTA SYSTEM TO CHOOSE LEADERS HAS FAILED , INFACT ITS BEEN MANIPULATED, AND LEAD TO THE CURRENT SITUATION, BERANI BUAT KE ???

KUSOH,  15 May 2010 at 09:55  

LETS PRACTICE TRUE DEMOCRACY...ALL POST IN UMNO ARE OPEN TO ALL TO CONTEST ...CHOOSE THE ONE WHO WE TRUST THAT CAN CONTRIBUTE, LIKE MR SOKMOMGKOL AK 47 , AT THE LEAST HE WRITES WELL AND PRACTICAL,UMNO DO HAVE GOOD PEOPLE AND WANT/CAN CONTRIBUTE BUT THEY ARE NOT IN THE LEADERSGIP CIRCLE.

THERE ARE GOOD MALAYS OUTSIDE UMNO WHO WILL JOIN THR PARTY IF THERE ARE SPACE FOR THEM TO CONTRIBUTE.....SO TEPOK DADA TANYA SELERA......

Anonymous,  15 May 2010 at 15:46  

Dato'

Good take on Sibu and DAP will win by 500 votes, according to OKM.

Re-educating UMNO ?

It's going to be a herculean task. It has to be the job of a Machiavellian, none other only Tun Mahathir.

Fi-sha 15 May 2010 at 18:53  

Salam

Dato' Sak

Susah susah aja fikir panjang mengkaji perihal UM-No (Baru). Sekiranya UM-No sudah mengambil iktibar-iktibar sejak pembubaran UMNO Lama dan Operasi Lalang, saya rasa UM-No Baru mampu menukar sejarah tanahair ini. Kita mungkin mampu bersaing dengan Indonesia. Orang Melayu UM-No mungkin tidak lagi ibarat 'katak bawah tempurung' dan tamak haloba.

22 tahun sudah berlalu dan para pemimpin Um-No Baru bukan lagi di takuk lama malah makin merundum dari segi akidah dan sahsiah. Nasib melayu tak terbela namun amat pantas menuding jari ke arah kaum lain pabila kemunduran melayu disebabkan pemikiran dan sikap mereka sendiri.

Kalau benarlah kaum cina di tanahair ini maju kerana peluang yang diberikan oleh kerajaan Um-No lantas menyekat kemajuan kaum melayu, mungkin Dato patut mengkaji kenapa kaum cina boleh maju walau dimana jua meraka berada.

Kaum Melayu tak mungkin hilang tapi semangat melayu itu yang hilang.

p.s. BN kalah? Kalau tak menang tak tahu lah saya - rasuah bermaharajalela tatkala SPRM tutup dua belah mata dan telinga.

Anonymous,  15 May 2010 at 22:44  

Your Umno president favorite mantra...I help you, you help me....what is becoming of Umno now with such blatant "bribing culture"

Anonymous,  16 May 2010 at 08:54  

UMNO Baru can never ever be UMNO original. UMNO Baru is a totally new party founded on a totally different idealism,kinda like it has a different set of DNA. TDM is still member no. 001. You are asking UMNO Baru to MUTATE, but that cannot happen unless there is some catastrophe like a nuclear holocaust that affected it to change. But even then it would be 50:50 because it could perish forever and walla... we have UMNO Baru Baru which could probably be a worse animal than the present.

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